


riverbent - a riverdale genderswap au

by dangpankoozie



Series: Riverbend - A Riverdale Genderswapped Alternate Universe [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AKA, AU, Abuse, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, Angst and Feels, Broken Promises, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dysfunctional Family, Eating Disorders, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Fem!Kevin, Genderbend, Genderbending, Graphic Description of Self-Harm, Happy Murder Family, Hiss hiss, Mental Health Issues, No Incest, No adultery, Parental Abuse, Possible adultery, Riverdale, Self-Harm, Sorry Not Sorry, Spoilers, also posted on wattpad!, ariel is as irrelevant as archie lmao, barchie does not survive either sorry, ben is betty except better, but how we get to the ending is different, chester is a lovely piece of ass, chester is cheryl but more, everyone is a little bit gay but thats alright, fem!archie, fem!jason - Freeform, fem!joaquin, fem!jughead, fem!reggie, first work so it probably sucks, genderswap AU, genderswap cheronica overload, grarchie does not survive, hermione does NOT commit adultery, honestly katrina is not as good as kevin but at least she's gay, i did my best to represent the issues accurately, if you're reading this i love you for reading all these tags thanks, im sorry and ily, in which the author breaks promises, isnt life great, isnt that a clever name?, juliet is not as emo as jughead, just good old-fashioned intense manipulation, lot of it, lots of creative insults, male!betty, male!cheryl, male!geraldine grundy, male!polly, male!satan, male!veronica, no adultery!, no incest!, no its not sorry, questionable relations, read this please, riverbent, so many of them lol, sorry - Freeform, southside serpents, the parents are still the same, the plot is pretty much the same?, tw: abuse, tw: anxiety, tw: eating disorders, tw: self-harm, under the same username!, vermont is less annoying than veronica, wait did i say no adultery, welcome to the snake pit ;), wow this is a lot of tags oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2018-12-26 01:51:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 58,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12048840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dangpankoozie/pseuds/dangpankoozie
Summary: {ALL CHARACTERS ARE INSPIRED BY THE 2017 TV SERIES TITLED RIVERDALE}{NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED}This is not a story about four teenagers. This is not a story of a murder. This is a not a story of love, loss, and everything in between. This is not a story about all those things, even though they are definitely there.This is a story about what happens when small worlds get torn apart. This is a story about how far people will go to keep a secret or two. This is a story about what happens when hidden secrets come crawling back.This is a story about the fair town of Riverdale.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is purely a work of fiction. All the characters are inspired by the Archie Comics Characters as well as the characters from the 2017 TV Show Riverdale. No copyright infringement is intended. 
> 
> All the characters of the younger generations have had a change in their gender. The parents' generation still has the same names and the same genders. 
> 
> The plot of this AU will loosely follow that of the television show. Some events will not occur, and I might change the elements of some plots, and some details. Things happen differently in this universe.

He asked her if she was afraid.

She smiled.

That's all.

~


	2. Tell Him!

"But, come on, Kat. It's not like Ariel likes me like that," Benedict Cooper groaned.

"Oh please, if you just cleared Ariel's eyes for her, she would find out that you're her Prince Eric," Katrina Keller, best friend of Benedict Cooper, groaned.

"I mean, I'd rather be Prince Ben, right? I don't think I'm ready to change my name," Benedict laughed nervously.

"Ugh, Prince Ben? Descendants was a terrible movie." Katrina grimaced.

Benedict shot up from his bed. "Excuse me? You shut your face! Descendants is the best DCOM ever! I would go gay for Harry Hook and Jay!"

"Whatever," Katrina rolled her eyes, and then turned around to apply some foundation. "You just like the bad boys, but you like the good girls, don't you? Ariel and Ben, sitting on a tree, k-i-s-s-i-"

"Shut up, just shut up," Benedict said, blushing.

"Come on, just tell her," Katrina insisted. "I'm tired of watching you pine over the same girl since second grade," Katrina stated.

"What am I supposed to do?" Benedict clutched his head.

Katrina turned around from her mirror, one eye bigger than the other because of the makeup. It seemed a little comical and Ben suppressed a laugh.

"Invite her to Pop's, sponsor her favorite milkshake, and profess your undying adoration and devotion for the one and only Ariel Andrews."

"What if she doesn't like me back?"

"Then you guys finish up your milkshakes, and part ways for the day," Katrina stated. "It's just a simple conversation, Ben, not a wedding ring," she mocked.

"Fine, but if I fail, it's on you," Ben accused.

"It'll be on you and you know it, sweetie," Kat winked.

Ben groaned, knowing she was right.

~

The whole diner was empty. Pop was cleaning up, and frying some more burgers and doughnuts. The diner was quiet, and a little dark. The sun was setting. Ben thought it couldn't have been better, the atmosphere. Ariel, however, was already having her post-summer blues, and the conversation wasn't going anywhere at all.

"I can't believe school starts on Monday. This summer passed by so fast," Ariel sighed.

"Summer's always like that. At least now we have Halloween coming up!" Ben tried to cheer Ariel up.

"It's August, Ben, August. Halloween is not coming up soon enough," Ariel groaned.

Ben laughed. "At least we're having milkshakes, right? And you don't have to pay a dime!"

Ariel smiled sweetly. "I missed you. How did summer treat you?"

"...Parker got sent away," Ben stated sadly. He realized he hadn't told Ariel yet.

"What? Why? Parker? Seriously?" Ariel gasped. Parker Cooper was a great guy. He was nice to everyone, unlike the likes of his teammates on the football team.

"Mom and Dad aren't telling me why. I'm so lonely at home, Ariel," Ben was on the verge of tears.

"I'm here, Ben. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. You've always been. It's one of the many reasons I love you," Benedict smiled.

Ariel smiled back. "Me too, Ben. You're the greatest friend anyone could have."

Benedict's smile fell. He was about to say it, "No, that's not what-" when the door at Pop's opened up rudely. A boy, clad in black, walked in, and Ariel turned around, wanting to see who was here.

The boy walked over to their booth, eyes locked with Ariel's. Great, Ben groaned. This is just great.

"Vermont," he extended his hand to Ben.

"Benedict," Ben said, letting the hand stay in the air, alone. Vermont disappointedly dropped his hand without a word.

"And who is this ginger maiden, may I ask," Vermont whispered charmingly.

"Ariel. Ariel Andrews," Ariel said, half-smitten. Benedict could see why. Benedict was a Greek god stuck in a teenage body. And he could already feel himself resenting Vermont for that.

"I just moved here from the Big Apple," Vermont claimed. Wow, congratulations, boy, Benedict thought sarcastically in his head.

Vermont sat down next to Ariel, and Benedict wanted to be in Vermont's place. But instead of flirting with Ariel, he turned to face Ben. "Is there just one Benedict in this town, because I needed a guide and Principal Weatherbee said that it is going to be a Benedict Cooper. That you?"

Benedict nodded. Vermont squealed. Benedict looked at him ludicrously. "We, my friend, are going to be best friends," Vermont stated with all of the seriousness he could muster.

Benedict smiled unbelievingly. No, we are not.

Pop's asked Vermont what he wanted. "What should I get, seasoned Riverdale citizens?"

Ariel, positively swooning in front of him, said, "The onion rings. And a burger or two. They're great."

"A pack of onion rings and two burgers it is. Tonight, my mother and I are going to go pure American cuisine!" Vermont laughed.

~

On Monday at school, Benedict asked Katrina to accompany him to help Vermont adjust to the cruel social system, uh, school, that was Riverdale High School.

Benedict met Vermont at his locker. "Hey, Vermont, this is Katrina, Katrina, Vermont."

Vermont smiled and waved. "Yeah, I'm gay," Katrina stated.

Ben grimaced, "He didn't ask, Kat. You're signing yourself to be the token gay friend."

"Look at him!" Kat exclaimed. "He's clearly a playboy. Thank God for my gay booty that he can't tap!"

Vermont patted Katrina's shoulder. "Good for you. Guys are dicks anyway," he laughed.

"But, you are also going to be my best friend," Vermont squealed again. It was odd, yet Ben could see himself getting used to it. He didn't want to get used to it.

"Well first I have to take you on a walk through school during homeroom," Ben said.

Vermont nodded, and the three of them started walking. "You know, one thing I've noticed is that everybody is so attractive in this town. Is it just me or is everybody like a TV actor?"

Katrina laughed. "You're not too bad yourself, mister."

"It really is the Lodge genes that deserve this credit, Ms. Katrina."

Katrina stopped walking suddenly. "Lodge? As in...Hiram Lodge, Lodge Industries? That Lodge?" Benedict sighed. Damn it, Kat. Why'd you have to bring that up?

"Why, are you not going to be friends with Vermont if he's a Lodge?" Benedict asked. In his opinion, there were more reasons than his surname to not extend the hand of friendship to Vermont.

Katrina glanced at Ben, before saying, "What? No, of course not. You just didn't say, Ben, that he was a Lodge!"

"It didn't matter, Kat," Benedict tried to stop her from being, well, Kat.

"Sure, sure, sure. Is it true, Vermont, that your father embezzled millions of dollars?"

Vermont looked like a deer trapped in headlights. Katrina didn't apologize.

"I...I don't know, actually," Vermont said, after a long time, regaining his composure.

"Understandable, I guess," Katrina shrugged.

"If you're done drilling our guest, can I show Riverdale High to him now?" Benedict asked sarcastically.

"It's fine, really, Ben," Vermont smiled.

Katrina said sorry to Vermont half-heartedly and left for her first lesson.

"I'm sorry about Katrina, she's just upfront about stuff like that."

"I like Kat. She's cool," Vermont said, effectively ending the conversation.

Ben and Vermont sat down in the stands next to the track. "I'm so nervous. I don't think I'll survive here," Vermont confessed.

Benedict felt for Vermont. He could understand. "No, no, I think you will," Benedict reassured him. "I mean, you've got Kat, and you've got Ariel, and...you've got me. Like, I mean, Ariel is already half in love with you, right, so."

Vermont turned his head at Ben sharply. "Come on, Ariel likes you. I saw her looking at you when I was sitting with the two of you. She looked like she was on cloud nine, bro."

"Please, besides, didn't you like her? You were flirting with her yesterday so hard."

Vermont laughed. "Sure, yeah, I was. But the moment I sat down, I felt like I was third-wheeling with Romeo and Juliet in heaven."

Ben shook his head and chuckled. "Whatever. I won't have the guts to tell her how I feel anyway."

Vermont put his hand on Ben's knee. "Well, then I will help. Consider yourself to be the first lad to be the benefactor of the Vermont Lodge Foundation."

Ben laughed. Was he seriously having a good time with Vermont Lodge? It seemed surreal.

"I saw some banners and advertisements for a dance coming up. You should take her. It'll be great. And maybe I'll take Kat. As a friend, obviously. And maybe I'll hook Kat up with some Riverdale High beauty too."

"Kat doesn't need a human OkCupid. She's seeing Michelle from the swim team. But you can't tell her I told you that."

"Human OkCupid...that sounds...interesting, I like it."

"Yeah, except you're like... OkStupid," Ben joked.

Vermont shook his head and groaned, "Ugh...lame."

Ben chuckled again. "Come on, let's go for class."

~


	3. A Bitter Taste

Vermont dragged Ben to the swimming pool, where Ariel was practicing. They headed there at the end of her practice, where he would make Ben spit out the invitation. They waited at the chairs next to the pool for a while, waiting for Ariel to come out of the showers.

"Vermont, Ben? What's up?" Ariel called out from behind them, drying her hair.

"Hey, Ariel," Vermont dragged, letting Ben clumsily stand up in haste. "Ben had something to ask you," Vermont cued. Ariel looked at Ben expectantly.

"What, Ben?" she asked.

"I...uh..." Ben stuttered. "Um...Vermont and I were wondering if we could take you to the dance. We were wondering if we could go together."

"We were?" Vermont blurted.  _God,_ Vermont groaned.  _Come on, Ben!_

Looking at Ben's nervous face, Vermont quickly covered up for his future bestie. "I mean, duh, we were!"

Ariel smiled, a little confused. "Sure, I like it. I'll go," she agreed.

"I can't believe you guys stayed back until my practice ended to ask me such a simple question," Ariel laughed.

Ben said, "I mean, Vermont and I, we did homework in the library."

It wasn't a lie. They had been in the library. They had tried to complete their homework, but most of the time had passed by with Vermont trying to calm Ben's nervous woes.

~

On Thursday, Ariel stayed back after school, to get some time with the music teacher.

"Ariel, hi," Mr. Gerard Grundy said. Ariel came inside the music room.

"Close, the door, yeah?" Mr. Grundy suggested. Ariel complied.

"Hi, Mr. Grundy. Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Of course, Ariel. What's bothering you?"

"I...just wanted to talk about what happened over the summer."

"What about it?"

"It's illegal, Mr. Grundy. We can't see each other like this. I could get expelled. You could get fired."

"But...that night. It was great, right? And you're legal. Don't call something that feels so right illegal."

Ariel softened. "But it is, Mr. Grundy."

"Call me Gerard, Ariel." He took a step in front, taking Ariel's hands in his. Ariel wanted to pull away, but he was right. They belonged together.

"I love you, Ariel. You're amazing. Don't let something as petty as the law tear something so good apart."

Ariel was a little taken aback. Did he just call the law petty? Ariel knew this was wrong. But she felt so alive. Riverdale was such a boring town. She felt like she was having an adventure, right there, in Gerard's arms in the middle of a music room in Riverdale High. Where else could Ariel get that?

So, Ariel tip-toed to kiss Gerard, even though everything screamed at her not to.

"You know what makes me regret everything?" Gerard pulled away.

"What?"

"The fact that I can't take you to the dance, and dance the night away with you. So," he walked away and played a slow, soft song on the player. "May I have this dance, Ariel?"

Ariel giggled. "Yes, of course, sir." And they danced. And Ariel thought to herself,  _it could be this simple._

But it really wasn't that simple, was it?

~

Friday was the dance, and Ariel wished she could be with Gerard, dancing. But she was fine with dancing with Ben and Vermont too. But it just wouldn't feel the same.

At the school gym, everyone was knee-deep in fun. Kat, looking gorgeous in a black dress, basically jumped at Vermont, and dragged him away from Ben and Ariel. "Dance, with me, V!" she yelled.

And then Ariel turned to Ben and smiled childishly. "Dance with me, B?"

Ben beamed. "Of course."  _I'm going to tell her, in the middle of this gym, during this sweet song. And it'll be perfect._

Vermont and Kat, dancing as well, could see Ben beaming all the way from the end of the gym. Vermont was so excited.

"So...Kat..." Vermont turned his attention towards his second future bestie.

"Anyone Juliet to your female Romeo, Kat?" Vermont asked curiously, despite knowing the answer.

"Ben told you, didn't he?"

Vermont froze, before replying erratically. "What? No! No, he didn't!" Katrina raised her eyebrows.

"No- Yeah, he did."

Katrina nodded and then sighed. "Mich and I...we're in a complicated place right now. She's not ready to admit that she's gay, or maybe bi. And, like, she has a boyfriend, so I swear to God, you cannot be telling anyone, otherwise I will cut your head off and throw it into Sweetwater river."

Vermont laughed.

Meanwhile, Ariel asked Ben about Parker. "Any news about Parker?"

Ben gulped. "No. I'm...I'm scared. Did he...I don't know."

"Don't guess, Ben. Take action. Find him out."

"Find him out?" Ben asked, taken aback.

"Yeah. Investigate. He's your brother, Ben. You need to know what happened."

Ben smiled. Ariel understood and supported him. Always. And he was ready. To tell her. And that was when Chester Blossom ruined everything.

"Hola, girls, and guys. Welcome to the Back to School dance, and I, your prom king, am going to announce your prom queen!"

Vermont walked over with Kat to Ben and Ariel. "Why is he the de facto prom king?"

"Because he organized the dance. It's stupid," Ariel groaned.

"It's Michelle! Unfortunately, Martin didn't get prom king or this could have been a picture perfect moment for you, huh?" Chester mocked.

"I mean, unless you're more of a prom queen to your queen kind of person," Chester guessed, staring right at Kat. Vermont's eyes went wide, and Kat whispered, "Shit." 

"But, I mean, Martin and Michelle are forever, right, Marty?"

Martin yelled assertively from somewhere over the crowd.

"Anyways, if you guys want to continue the party, then head over to my boy Marty's house at Sweet Lane, yeah? Be there or be square, Riverdale citizens!"

After Chester left the stage, Kat started freaking out big time. "How the hell does Chester know?" she asked angrily.

Vermont tried to calm her down, to no avail.

"Michelle is going to be so pissed off," Kat panicked and rushed off to find her.

Chester Blossom, the newly crowned king, headed over to the three of them. "Guess Kat did get the hint, huh?" Chester laughed.

Ariel rolled her eyes. "It wasn't funny, Chester."

"It was a little funny," Chester winked.

Vermont crossed his arms. "No, it wasn't. And I want you to go to Michelle and apologize."

Chester chuckled. "Ooh, Lodge, I'm so scared! Is this how it is in the world of crime, Mr. Lodge? All folded arms and thinly veiled threats?"

Benedict growled, "I'm going to need you to shut up."

"Oh! The spoiled prince speaks! Tell me, Benny Ben-Ben. How is it sharing the girl of your dreams with the son of a thief?"

Vermont said softly. "Leave, Chester. Just leave."

Chester refused to budge. "I mean, Ben. Let's face it. Bad boys like Vermin here win in the end, right? And, I mean, it's not like Ariel will ever fall for – " Vermont took that opportunity to punch Chester in the arm. Chester yelped like a helpless dog and nursed his arm. 

"You know, I was worse than you, Blossom. Back in the Big Apple. I could go all Dark Vermont on you. But you're just a sewer rat, right? Don't think I need to waste my energy on you. So I think we would all appreciate if you stopped signing yourself up for doom."

Chester rolled his eyes.

"Where's Janessa, by the way? You know, without your twin, it's almost like you don't matter. She was always everyone's favorite. Poor Chester, always living in Janessa's shadow," Benedict snarled.

Chester glared at Ben. And Ariel wondered... _had Ben gone too far this time?_  And after the longest time, he smiled. "See you at the after-party, Ari. Bring Vermin and Benny here with you, yeah?"

Ariel laughed derisively. "We'll be there, Chesty."

~

Kat and Michelle were at Sweetwater River.

"I can't believe Chester would do that," Michelle cried.

"Me either, sweetie. But it's okay. You want me to kiss you and make everything better?"

"I feel like every time we're together, things just get worse."

"But it feels right, Mich. Right?"

"Yeah, it does."

"Then let's get out of this suffocating car." Michelle giggled, and Katrina winked. And they moved closer to the water, where they had first kissed each other during the summer when they had first met. It had been great. And reliving that felt right.

But there was something in the water.

Some _one._

"Oh my God..." Katrina gasped.

"Quick, Kat. Call your dad!" Michelle urged.

~


	4. Mousetrap

At Marty’s house, Chester, Ariel, Benedict, Rachel Mantle and Vermont played seven minutes. Chester spun the bottle, and it landed on Ariel and Vermont. Chester grinned. “Off you go, Ari and Vermin!”

Inside the cramped closet, Ariel and Vermont were a little confused about what to do. Ariel wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what was going on.

“You know,” Vermont started. “When I walked into Pop’s, and I saw you, I thought. I thought I had an instantaneous crush on you. And I just thought we were meant to be. But then…but then I saw the way Ben looks at you. And I realized by true calling was to get the two of you together. It really should be Ben inside here. Not me. You like each other. I can see that.”

“Monty…it’s, not that simple,” Ariel tried. Gerard, Gerard, Gerard.

“What do you mean? Are you seeing someone?”

“Um…no.” Ariel lied.

“Then what’s stopping you from being with Ben?”

“I told you…it’s complicated. Let’s not talk about it.”

 _Okay,_ Vermont thought. So they didn’t talk about it. And seven minutes is a long time.

So Ben, outside the closet, decided not to wait.

~

Vermont and Ariel came out of the closet to find Benedict missing. The whole room was quiet, and Vermont sighed. “He’s gone.”

Ariel rushed out. “What? Where did he go?”

Chester, from behind the two of them, said, “He left. Something about things being too unbearable,” he smirked.

Ariel leaped at him. “You sick son of a –”, but Vermont pulled her away and stormed out. “We need to find him, and you guys need to talk this out.”

Vermont and Ariel looked at Pop’s, then they looked at school, and then Ariel decided that maybe he just went home.

Vermont dropped Ariel off and left. He knew that Ariel and Benedict needed to discuss this themselves.

Ariel walked up to the porch, and before she could ring the bell, Ben walked out.

“Ben, I’m so glad you’re fine,” Ariel went in to hug him.

“Ariel, I’ve been wanting to say this for the longest time, so I’m going to say it. I really like you. And I think we can be more than friends,” Ben rushed.

 _No, no, no, no, no._ Ariel didn’t know how to reject her childhood best friend. She didn’t know how to sign up to lose her truest friend.

“Ben-”

Ben caught her expression change. Lift into something that was sympathetic, and he knew, that Chester was right.

“No, no, I get it. I’m not good enough,” Ben said, wondering why he was wasting his time.

“What? No, Ben look at me,” Ariel sighed. “It’s me. I will never be good enough for you. You’re…you’re so perfect, Ben…I,” Ariel struggled to find the right words.

“Don’t call me perfect. I hate that word,” Ben grunted.

“Okay. Okay. Look, Ben, I love you, but I’ll never be able to care for you in that way. You deserve someone so much better than me.”

“Whatever. Go home, Ari. I need to change.”

“Ben, please, we’re still friends, right?”

But Ben opened the door to his house, and left Ariel stranded there.

~

The night of the back to school dance was not a good night for many people. For example, Vermont Lodge might have just broken up a non-existent relationship between Ariel Andrews and Benedict Cooper. Michelle might have just been outed to the whole school. Katrina Keller just had a rough night.

Chester was irritated. Why did he have to rush to Sweetwater River half-drunk? Why did his father insist he arrive? This was all so unnecessary. He had things to do, lives to ruin. Specifically, his own.

“What do you want, dad?” Chester groaned, getting out of the car.

“Chester, it’s your sister,” he said as he approached.

“They found Janessa?” he jumped.

“Chester, she’s…she’s dead,” Mr. Blossom coughed.

“What?”

“Sherriff Keller thinks…he thinks she was murdered, Chester. I’m so sorry,” Mr Blossom rushed.

And for the first time, Chester saw his mother’s crying figure at the edge of the water, a body bag being thrown into the car and detectives marking out evidence and police tape. And he wondered how long he was supposed to keep a secret.

~

Fred Andrews sat his daughter down and told her about Janessa. And Ariel was shocked, to say the least. She started freaking out, worrying for Ben. After all, Ben’s brother was in a serious relationship with Janessa, and then he got sent away without a word. She could not imagine how lonely Ben must feel in that big house, with his overbearing mother and perfectionist father. When she tried to call Ben, it rang until the phone hang up for her, saying that the number was not picking up.

She went to school, and waited for Ben to come. But the only people who came were Kat and Vermont.

“Seriously, I can’t believe you guys would do that to Ben,” Kat scolded Vermont.

“Come on, Kat. You know it was mainly Chester and his manipulative bitchiness that got Ben to be so upset,” Vermont tried, to clear his name.

“Yeah, but you two could have just refused to continue playing. You guys are idiots,” Kat rolled her eyes.

“We’re sorry, Kat, we really are. But we need your help to see how Ben is doing,” Ariel pleaded.

Vermont sarcastically remarked, “Maybe we should ask Chester how Ben is doing, since he was such a dunce yesterday.”

Kat laughed insincerely. “Yeah, I highly doubt Chester is coming to school today. Didn’t you hear about Janessa?”

Vermont looked at Kat confusedly. Ariel filled in the blanks for him, “Kat found Janessa’s body last night by Sweetwater River, when she was talking to Michelle.”

While Vermont took his time to process that news, Ariel pressed on Kat for more details. “How did he die, though?”

Kat shuddered, remembering the hole in his skull. “I think he was shot,” she whispered.

“When?”

“They haven’t done the autopsy yet.”

~

Ariel walked into Mr. Grundy’s office, shutting the door. Mr. Grundy spun around, his face lighting up when he saw her.

“Ariel! How’s everything?”

“A girl is dead.”

“Yes, yes, I heard, tragic. Janet Blossom, right?”

“Janessa. Janessa Blossom. She’s dead. And she was shot.”

“It really is tragic, Ariel. What can I do for you? Are you okay?”

“She was shot. Don’t you remember what we heard?”

Gerard looked up from his work. Ariel saw the dread creep into his face. She had to tell someone, he could understand that, right?

Gerard got up from his chair, and took a deep breath. “Ariel,” he said, with a low voice that frankly, scared her.

“Listen to me. We don’t know anything,” Gerard emphasized.

“But we heard-” Ariel tried to knock some sense into him.

“We heard a weird noise. We don’t even know it was a gunshot.”

“That was clearly a gun, Gerard!” Ariel yelled.

“Shut up!” Gerard scolded Ariel.

Ariel blinked, taken aback. Gerard sighed. “I’m sorry. It’s just. Ariel, you were right. I could get fired. You could get _expelled._ Listen, telling the principal just isn’t right. You don’t have to sacrifice this wonderful thing we have for something like this.”

“Gerard. A. Girl. Is. Dead,” Ariel emphasized.

“Listen, babe, you know what’s going on here?” He came closer to her. He wrapped his arms around here, but Ariel thought there was something off about it. _He’s trying his best,_ Ariel scolded her skepticism. _You will never get a man like this anywhere,_ Ariel reminded herself.

“You’re just scared. There’s a murderer on the loose, and you’re overanalyzing everything. Don’t worry, darling. I’ll protect you. Always,” Gerard said into Ariel’s hair.

“But…” Ariel tried to protest. _But Janessa is still dead._

Gerard pulled away from Ariel, and she found herself missing it. And then she knew, that whatever he was going to say next, she was going to agree. She was done fighting this. She knew it was right. Gerard was right. The law couldn’t erase true love. And he was not going to get this anywhere else. Carpe diem, right?

“Look, babe. We don’t even have the date. Once we get the date, then we’ll decide, okay? You’re right. A kid is dead. We should do whatever we can,” he tried to convince Ariel.

“Okay. That sounds like a good plan,” Ariel nodded.

Gerard smiled at her, and then held her face and kissed Ariel. She felt great, as usual. But something was off-kilter. _Compromise, right?_ She tried to justify herself. _That’s what relationships are all about._

And they kissed each other, forgetting the law, forgetting that this could ruin lives, forgetting the risk, forgetting that walls have ears and doors have eyes. Well the door to the music room did, at that moment. The dark eyes of Juliet Jones gazed into the exchange. She could not believe it. What the hell? Juliet thought, maybe she should ask Ariel what the hell she was getting herself into. But then she remembered the 4th of July, and how she was alone that whole day, when Ariel had clearly said she was going to be there for her. And Juliet Jones thought, Ariel could deal with this on her own. She didn’t need anyone. Ariel didn’t need Juliet anymore.

Meanwhile, Gerard and Ariel returned to becoming a teacher and his student. “What else can I help you with, Ms. Andrews?” Gerard asked, becoming Mr. Grundy again. Ariel cleared her throat, opening the door again. She didn’t see Juliet walking away from the room, away from Ariel.

“I need some feedback on this song I wrote,” Ariel requested. Mr. Grundy nodded, leading Ariel on to the piano. “No, I…I played it on my guitar and recorded it,” Ariel said, offering her earphones to him. Mr. Grundy plugged his ears with the earpieces.

_Long, winding road, with nothing to say_

_How did we get to be this way?_

_I’m sorry I left you alone_

_I swear I did, I tried to phone_

_Long, winding road, with nothing to say_

_Why do we have to be this way?_

_Silent drive, screaming minds,_

_It’s killing me, and I think it’s killed you too_

_Just let me go, let me go, I know now_

_There’s nothing we can do_

_Just let me go, let me go, I know now_

_There’s nothing to do_

Mr. Grundy smiled at Ariel. “It’s really good, Ariel. I like the lyrics, and the guitar is so soulful. You’re improving,” he said, impressed.

Ariel checked the time, and got up to leave. She turned around, and said, “Thank you. For everything.”

~

“Mom, Dad? I’m done being quiet about this. Where the hell is Parker?” Ben spat at his parents, at the dining table.

“He’s somewhere safe, sweetheart. Just eat your food,” Alice said.

“I can’t! Janessa is dead, and Parker is gone! Do you have any idea how that looks like?” Ben said, panicky.

“Your brother had nothing to do with Janessa Blossom. Or her death, is that clear?” Hal said through gritted teeth.

“Dad, I know you didn’t approve of Janessa and Parker but they are both gone. We need to ask Parker what he knows. Janessa needs to be brought to justice, don’t you think?” Ben urged.

“I already asked Parker. He said he doesn’t know anything about Janessa’s disappearance,” Alice said curtly, ending the conversation.

“Mom but- ” Ben tried to continue, but his mother interrupted him. “I’m not going to entertain your fantastical theories. Are you going to school from tomorrow?”

That shut Ben up about Parker. “Yeah, I am.”

“Good, you can’t afford to miss school. You need your attendance to be almost perfect, is that clear?” Hal instructed.

“Yes, Dad,” Ben grudgingly gave in.

“Just. One question, Mom,” Ben tried.

“What?” Alice snapped.

“Can I at least see Parker?” Ben begged, with all the sincerity he could muster. Alice saw the longing in her son’s eyes, but she knew her answer before he asked the question.

“Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry. But Parker’s in a difficult place now, and he just doesn’t want to see anyone right now. Even I haven’t visited him. But we will, eventually, alright?” Alice tried to convince her son.

Ben nodded, half-satisfied with his mother’s answer, ignoring the little Ben in his head jumping and screaming _liar liar liar liar liar!_

After dinner, Ben went up to his bed, and tried talking to Kat, but she was busy. He thought he could text Ariel, but he was supposed to be angry. And he just didn’t feel like talking to Vermont yet. So he dialed a number he hadn’t in a long time.

Juliet Jones picked up after five rings. “Oh. Ben. Hi, how are you?” she asked, a little too formal.

“I’m good Jules. Thanks.” Silence.

“Why’d you call, Ben?” Juliet asked awkwardly.

“I just. I needed someone to talk to.”

“Oh. Well, about what?”

“…everything?” Ben laughed humourlessly.

“Okay. Well, what’s bothering you on this fine night?”

“Parker’s gone,” Ben stated simply.

“Why?” Juliet asked sharply.

“I don’t know. God, I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with Janessa,” Ben groaned.

“Well, you won’t know unless you ask your parents, right?” Juliet guessed.

Ben rolled his eyes. “Have you _met_ my parents?”

Juliet laughed, the static crackling against Ben’s ear. “Then maybe you should snoop around, become Sherlock,” Juliet suggested with all seriousness.

“Ariel said the same thing,” Ben said. And then he cursed at himself. Ariel and Juliet hadn’t been talking to each other since the summer.

“She did, did she?” Juliet said, trying to move past the awkward topic.

“Yeah,” Ben dragged the word out.

“I don’t think I’m being a very good companion. You should probably try Ariel,” Juliet suggested.

“No, no, no, don’t hang up,” Ben pleaded. “Ariel and I…we fought.”

“Oh…why?”

“Oh just. Petty teenage stuff. I said I liked her, and then she rejected me, and my male ego couldn’t take it,” Ben trivialized the events.

“I highly doubt you have an ego, Ben,” Juliet deadpanned.

 _Is that all she had to say?_ Ben thought, incredulous. The Juliet he knew always had extra thoughts about things. Her mind was always in overdrive.

What Ben didn’t know was that Juliet knew the precise reason why Ariel had rejected and sacrificed her friendship with her best friend, and that that reason was an ugly reason. Juliet thought, _I really should tell him._ But then again, _Ariel Andrews didn’t need Juliet Jones anymore._

“Why did you guys have a fallout, Jules?” Ben asked delicately.

Juliet was silent. “You don’t really have to tell me. It’s just that Ariel never said anything before school started.”

Juliet snorted. “I don’t think she realized we had a fallout.”

“What does that mean?”

“On the fourth of July, Ariel and I were supposed to go on a road trip. But she never showed up. And she never called me back. She didn’t give me a reason. She disappeared. And I guess I’m petty for still being angry, I guess,” Juliet speculated.

Ben didn’t know what to say. It seemed like there was something very off about their friend. What Ben didn’t know was that one of them knew.

~


	5. The Resident at Pop's

Juliet Jones sat inside the cafeteria, munching on a burger and drinking the signature milkshake. Suddenly, Ben came and sat down in front of Juliet.

"Oh. Hey," Juliet said, shutting her screen.

"When did you say that Ariel and you planned your road trip?" Ben asked breathlessly.

"Fourth of July. Why?"

Ben showed Juliet the headlines.

**_The Sun of Riverdale_ **

**_EXCLUSIVE: Blossom shot on 4th of July; Coroner's Report_ **

Juliet stared at the headlines for a very long time.

"What do you want to do?" Juliet asked.

"We have to ask Ariel what the hell she did on July 4th!"

Juliet sighed. "I know we aren't talking to her, but I highly doubt Ariel had anything to do with anything. Have you  _met_ Ariel? Ariel cries if a fly dies."

Ben slumped onto the table, snatching a piece of mayonnaise-coated lettuce and chewing it. "What do we do then?"

Juliet smiled. "Investigate, baby," Juliet laughingly said.

Ben smirked.

~

Vermont, Ariel, and Kat sat in the middle of Ariel's room in the attic, while Ariel strummed on the guitar. Vermont groaned out of nowhere. "I can't believe Ben is still not talking to us."

Kat raised her eyebrows while cuddling Vegas. "I don't know if this is relevant, but I saw Ben with Juliet at Pop's yesterday."

Ariel stopped her strumming. "With Juliet? You sure?"

Vermont, confused, asked, "Wh-who's Juliet?"

Kat filled in the blanks for Vermont. "Ariel's ex-best friend."

Ariel looked at Kat, irritated. "I wouldn't say ex-best friend."

Vermont looked to Kat for an explanation. "Ariel ditched Juliet on their road trip on July 4th. And then they just didn't talk. It's weird."

Vermont raised his eyebrows and looked at Ariel for an explanation. "I was busy, alright? I forgot," Ariel said lamely.

"As if you forgot. You were obsessing with the details of the route with Juliet after finals and were eating my brain like pesky maggots."

Vermont laughed. Ariel rolled her eyes.

Vermont suddenly sat up. "Wait. July 4th? Isn't that the day Janessa was shot?"

Ariel looked at Vermont, shocked. "Wait, what, really?"

"Yeah, look," Kat looked through her phone, and whipped out the Sun of Riverdale's online website.

Ariel looked like she had seen a ghost. "You okay, Ari?" Vermont asked, worried.

"Yeah. No. It's just. Frightening, you know?" Ariel tried to cover up her anxiety.

"Yeah, sure. I guess," Vermont shrugged.

~

Ben and Juliet sat in the cafeteria together. "Are we seriously going to try to figure out who killed Janessa Blossom?" Ben asked.

"Don't you want to?" Juliet shrugged.

"Yeah, sure, but, we're kids," Ben explained.

"We know Janessa better than Sherriff Keller. And we have Chester."

"I'm pretty sure Keller has Chester too," Ben suggested.

"Yeah, but we have the magic of communication," Juliet winked.

"And Sherriff Keller has the magic of interrogation," Ben retorted.

"Interrogating Chester? It's easier to go to the moon," Juliet rolled her eyes.

Ben said, with all seriousness, "Actually, it's going to get easier to get to the moon, commercial space travel is a very probable reality."

Juliet raised one eyebrow and shook her head, smiling. "So are you in, Coops?" Juliet said in a sing-song manner.

Ben sat up straight. "Of course," Ben shook hands with Juliet.

~

It was 2 am. Ariel was awake. Only one memory kept replaying through her head.

_The water was calm. Soothing. Ariel felt like she was happy, in a long time. Gerard dipped a strawberry in chocolate and fed her. His car was there, and it really looked like everything was fine. The weather was fine. It was the best Fourth of July Ariel had seen. No loud fireworks, no drunk kids. Just her and Gerard, on the banks of Sweetwater River, feeding each other chocolate and fruit. It was romantic in a cringeworthy way, but Ariel was here for it._

_What Ariel wasn't here for was the loud ringing gunshot that echoed through the trees, dispersing panicked birds. She would have preferred fireworks and drunk kids._

_"What the hell was that?" Ariel gasped._

_"Someone's here," Gerard said._

_"We need to go," he said again. Ariel nodded, understanding, and stood up, kissed Gerard on the cheek, and left._

And that was all, and it was enough.

Ariel got out of her bed and wore some shorts and a t-shirt. She was going on a trip. She went on a jog to Gerard's. She went in, the door was unlocked, for some reason.

Gerard came out of his room, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Ariel, what are you doing here?"

"He was shot July 4th, Gerard." Ariel rushed.

Gerard looked a little shocked and then regained his composure. "Okay. Okay. Let's talk about it then. What do you think we should do?"

"I need to tell the principal what we heard," Ariel said, panicked.

"No, no, let's not make a rash decision," Gerard said slowly.  _It's not a rash decision! Janessa is dead and we heard who did it!_

"Please, Gerard, I can't hold this guilt in me any longer," Ariel begged.

Gerard's rigid disposition melted, as he embraced Ariel tightly. "Oh, sweetie, come here," Gerard cooed.

Ariel felt herself giving in, but this time, she stopped herself. "No, Gerard," she pulled away. "I'm telling the principal what we heard."

"When I left Kansas," Gerard said slowly, "I was running." Ariel looked at him.

"I was running from so much. I was running from an abusive family, a wrecked relationship. I just wanted to start anew. And I know that this new beginning started with me making a mistake. I know I shouldn't have gotten involved with you. But I'm not sorry I made that mistake. I've learned that mistakes give you valuable things. You're valuable to me. Don't make me run away from you too. Don't make me do that. I don't want to run from you. But I will have to. If you tell the principal, you're making me run away again. Are you sure you want to do that?" Gerard said slowly, almost threateningly.

Ariel's eyes were hard. "Yes," she spat and left the house. She walked all the way home, shaking, half because of the cold, half of her own approval.

Janessa was dead, and Ariel knew something. The answer was clear from the beginning.

~

Vermont was doing his homework in the library. He was wondering how the hell did he find himself alone? This was such a small town! He had just made two friends, Kat and Ariel. And he managed to lose Ben! He really thought he and Ben were going to hit it off. Vermont sighed out loud in the almost-empty library.  _I guess I have an affinity of losing friends as fast as I make them,_ he thought.  _I mean, I guess I **am**  the son of a thief._

No. He shouldn't be thinking that.

Suddenly, the friend he supposedly lost was sitting next to him.

"Hey," Ben started the conversation.

Vermont froze, and looked at him. Was this for real? "Hi. I thought you," Vermont tried to say something.

"I'm sorry. I jumped to conclusions. I just. It's been difficult."

Vermont smiled reassuringly.

"Okay, that didn't sound like an apology. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions and abandoned you and Ariel. How can I make it up to you?" Ben asked.

"You don't have to. You're forgiven," Vermont smiled.

"You free for a chill session at Pop's?" Ben offered.

"Oh dude, those onion rings slew me," Vermont gushed. Ben laughed. And all was well for the moment. Benedict and Vermont were friends again. The balance had been regained.

~

Meanwhile, at Pop's, Juliet was doing work. Sleuth work, to be specific. Juliet plopped down in front of Dahlia Doiley, Riverdale's Girl Scout president. She was something of a survivalist, and Juliet knew for a fact that she trained her Scouts in ways that she probably did not want anyone to know.

"Hey, Dahlia," Juliet said, stealing the cherry off of Dahlia's milkshake.

"J-Juliet," Dahlia stuttered.

"Don't freak out, I just wanted to talk," Juliet said, faux-cheerily.

"Talk about what?" Dahlia said, her leg bouncing up and down in anxiety.

"You were there, right? At Sweetwater River, with your scouts, and you found Chester on the banks, by the rocks?" Juliet asked, cornering Dahlia.

"Yeah, I did," Dahlia said, trying her best to be calm.

"Did you by chance hear the gunshot?" Juliet raised her eyebrows.

Dahlia almost spat out her milkshake. "W-what?"

"So you heard something," Juliet asserted.

"What? No!" Dahlia sputtered.

"Sure you did. Or you shot the gun yourself," Juliet suggested.

"I did not kill Janessa Blossom," Dahlia said.

"That's what I thought too. Did you see anything, then, Dahlia? Otherwise, I'll be obligated to write in the first issue of our school newspaper about the fact that you teach your girls the importance of knowing how to shoot guns," Juliet smiled, barely hiding the threat. Juliet was lying. There was no school newspaper. Just a book full of evidence Ben and she were compiling. But it was fine, right? To lie?

"I swear, please don't, I might get expelled," Dahlia begged.

Juliet liked this feeling, of having someone's reputation in her hands. She understood why popular people like Chester Blossom and Rachel Mantle continued their charade. It gave them so much power.

"I know, Dahls, I know," Juliet smiled.

"Fine. You specialize in stories?" Dahlia spat. "Here's one for you. I saw Mr. Grundy's car near the river an hour or so before I saw Chester on the banks."

Juliet froze. Damn it. "Did you- did you see anything near the car?"

"No, there was no one there, but a couple of minutes after that, the car left."

"Did you see who was inside?"

"I mean, it  _is_ Mr. Grundy's car, so..." Dahlia shrugged.

"Okay, thanks for the cherry, Dahlia!" Juliet yelled as she grabbed her bag and walked to Ariel's house. Her cold shoulder was over.

~

Ariel heard a rude knocking on the door. It was absolutely furious. Ariel yelled at the person outside the door to shut up, but the knocking didn't budge. Ariel groaned and almost tripped while bounding down the stairs.

"What the-" Ariel said irritatedly, opening the door.

It was Juliet Jones. Ariel was taken aback.

"We need to talk," Juliet said coldly.

"Um. Okay. Come on in," Ariel said, making way for Juliet.

"Why didn't you come? On the 4th of July?" Juliet asked the question.

Ariel froze. "Jules, I..."

"Don't call me Jules. I'm not your friend. But you probably never even noticed the moment we stopped being friends," Juliet said, hurt splashing in waves off of her tongue.

"Jule-Juliet, I'm so sorry," Ariel said, sincerely apologetic.

"Just. Tell me, why weren't you at July 4th?"

"I can't tell you," Ariel sighed.

"You have to, Ariel. This time, you have to," Juliet insisted.

"Why? You just said we weren't friends, Juliet," Ariel hissed.

Juliet gulped. Honesty, right? It was the best policy.

"Dahlia Doiley saw Mr. Grundy's car at Sweetwater River on the 4th of July," Juliet stated. She could coax the truth out of Ariel. Juliet knew Ariel well enough.

Ariel didn't say anything. Juliet rolled her eyes.  _Okay, Andrews, if you want to play this way._

"Ariel, do you have something to say to me?" Juliet asked.

Yet again, no response.

"Ariel, what the hell?" Juliet hissed.

Ariel turned around from the door, finally. Her eyes were spilling tears. "Get. Out."

"I saw the two of you kissing from the glass panel in the door, Ariel," Juliet explained.

That just caused Ariel to break into more tears.

"Ariel, he's manipulating you," Juliet said softly.

"Gerard and I have something you will never understand," Ariel hissed through her tears. The resulting voice was not Ariel Andrews at all. It was someone new, someone Juliet could never imagine being friends with. Ariel would never, never put anyone else down to bring herself up. This was Gerard Grundy's doing.

"Ariel, please, if you were there, at Sweetwater River," Juliet started.

"I really think you need to leave," Ariel said, swinging the door open.

"Gerard Grundy is a predator. And you are his prey. And even though I said we're not friends, I'm still friends with the Ariel Andrews that promised me that she'd be there, on July 4th. I want that Ariel Andrews back. And I will do whatever is in my power to bring her back. Do you want evidence, Ariel? That he's a predator? Because I can bring you evidence. I will bring everything to prove to you that Gerard Grundy is using you. And...if you heard something Juliet...you need to tell someone." Juliet stated.

"Stay in your business, Jones," Ariel hissed.

"A kid is dead, Ariel," Juliet said, astonished that Ariel was even considering  _not_ helping the investigation.

"Exactly. And nothing can bring Janessa Blossom back. Nothing I do will help," Ariel tried to reason, more with herself rather than Juliet.

"Did he tell you that? Did Gerard Grundy tell you justice was not necessary  _because_ Janessa is dead?" Juliet guessed, knowing well enough from Ariel's silence and unfathomable expression that she was horrifyingly right.

"The evidence is right in front of you, Ari. And I trust you enough that I know that you'll do the right thing," Juliet stated. And then she left the Andrews household. Ariel stood behind the door, staring at the door, lost for words. It felt like she lost her friend two times over.

~


	6. The Real Gerard Grundy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: TW: Panic Attack

**A/N: Trigger Warning; panic attack**

**~**

Ariel Andrews got out of her father's car and walked to the principal's office. To her surprise, Sherriff Keller was there, with Chester, and they were getting ready to make an announcement about Janessa's passing. Ariel requested a meeting with the Sherriff and Principal Weatherbee. They sat her down, in his office, and when the Sherriff asked, "What do you want to tell us, Ariel?", she realized, there was no turning back.

"I want to help," Ariel said.

"Yes, thank you, Ms. Andrews. With which part of the investigation?" Sherriff Keller asked.

"I was there, that morning. At Sweetwater River," Ariel stated. It felt like a huge ton of bricks had been lifted from her neck.

"What were you doing?" Sherriff Keller asked, wanting more details.

 _Spending time with Mr. Grundy._ "Writing songs," Ariel lied. No, no, no, this was felonious!

"Were you with anyone?" he asked further.

 _Gerard Grundy._ "...my dog. Vegas," she finished. Sherriff Keller sighed. This was useless.

"Okay, anything else?" he asked, eager to finish this up.

"Yeah. I heard a gunshot. That morning. That's why I thought maybe I heard something useful."

Sherriff Keller smiled, trying to put Ariel at ease. "Thank you, Ariel. Even though your contribution won't help much because you were alone, I trust you're saying the truth. You're confirming that there was a gun shot near Sweetwater River on the 4th of July?"

"Yes," Ariel quivered.

Principal Weatherbee let Ariel go, and shaking, walked to her first class, euphoria coursing through her.

Gerard was going to be so proud of her.

~

That night was the first football game of the season, and everybody was pumped. The local band, the Riverlads, was playing, and there was a cheer in the air. Despite the rain before the game, it was barely drizzling when the stands opened to spectators. Among the crowd were Ariel and Kat. Juliet was there too. It wasn't common for her to show up, but she wanted to make amends with Ariel. She'd heard what she did. It was good to know her faith had not been misplaced. Chester, the captain of the football team, was leading the team, in which Vermont and Ben were too. Vermont was not going to be playing that day, because he was just new from the Big Apple. Chester was condescending that way.

Chester resented Vermont and Ben for making it to the team this year, and amongst all the Janessa shit this was a huge blow to his ego, but he brushed it off his shoulder. It wasn't in his control. Vermont and Ben were good, and coach wanted them on the team. It was pathetic, really. But, hey, at least he was still captain.

Mayor McCoy opened the night by talking about Riverdale's 75th anniversary, and how the first game of the year was the start of celebrations. She introduced her son's band, to which the cheerleaders danced, a mix of mind-bending moves and hypnotizing beat. But everyone was waiting for the team.

It was spectacular, really, when Chester came in with his team. It was a show of healing, of remuneration. Janessa Blossom was gone, and Chester was stronger than ever. He was a survivor. Chester felt like he owned the world. And then, he laid his eyes on Ariel. Ariel looked so much like Janessa. He couldn't stop staring, and then he stopped running. That wasn't Ariel on the stands.

Janessa Blossom, in all of her crimson-haired glory, stood in the stands and cheered him on.  _I never left_ , she seemed to be saying,  _you'll never be alone._ Chester felt the air leave his lungs. The team, slowed down, realizing Chester was no longer leading them. He backed away from the track, closer to the oval grass patch where the band was playing, where the cheerleaders were.

"Chester, come on!" Vermont yelled.

Chester couldn't stop staring at Ariel, and Kat hissed at her, "Are you guys making out or something?" Ariel didn't answer. Something about the way Chester was staring at her convinced her that he didn't see her at all.

Chester started gasping lightly for air. "Hey, Chest are you okay?" Rachel Mantle, Head Cheerleader called from the middle of the field. Chester wasn't responding to anyone. He backed away even more, and lost his footing, and fell right into the wet grass. But he stood up, and hit the ground running, leaping and sprinting away from the crowd, away from Janessa, away from everything.

Vermont saw the fading figure of Chester and waited for his two friends to go after him. But they were just as frozen as he was. "Aw, for Pete's sake," he cursed, and went after Chester.

~

Vermont followed Chester all the way to the boys' locker room. "Chester?" Vermont called out softly.

Chester was crouched in one corner of the room, still geared up in his football gear. His red hair was messed up, and his eyes were blurry with tears. It looked like a little boy had just been through hell and back. And Vermont guessed that was exactly what had happened.

"Hey, it's okay," Vermont cooed, wondering where this sudden softness towards  _Chester Blossom_ was coming from.

"She's...she's really gone?" he asked, looking at Vermont, asking him a question.

"I'm sorry," Vermont said pitifully, not knowing how else to make Chester feel better.

Chester was still facing away from Vermont, leaning his head on the other wall, not looking at him. Vermont put his hand on Chester's knee, not knowing what to do.

Chester gritted his teeth and tried not to cry, but he couldn't breathe, and he needed to cry. He started gasping for air, and sobs that sounded like animalistic growls left his mouth. Vermont felt helpless. It occurred to him that here was a sixteen-year-old boy who had just lost his sister. Whose friends were cockeyed chickens who didn't realize that their friend needed them? Vermont realized that Chester had no one left. And it made Vermont's chest ache, because he knew how loneliness could engulf people and leave them as shells. Bullet shells, weapons of destruction that didn't even mean much.

Vermont wanted to let Chester know he was here, but Chester seemed like he was in a battle all by himself.

Vermont squeezed Chester's knee, and then Chester completely broke. He buried his head in Vermont's shoulder, hiding his tears cascading down his face. Vermont held Chester in a tight hug.

Chester cried into Vermont's shoulder. "She was supposed to come back."

Vermont pulled away. "Wait, what?"

And Chester nodded, his face collapsing like a house of cards into more tears. "She was supposed to come back."

Vermont shook his head, dismissing Chester's comment. He was in the middle of an anxiety attack, Chester did not know what he was even saying.

But a certain blond-haired detective standing in the doorway didn't dismiss Chester's statement at all.

Was Janessa Blossom supposed to come back?

~

Ariel saw Juliet standing next to the stands. "Hey, Jules," she said.

"Hey, Ari," Juliet said right back.

"You heard what I told the principal?" Ariel asked.

"Yeah, I did. I told you, right?" Juliet winked.

Ariel's smile turned wistful. "You always knew me better than I knew myself."

Juliet laughed. "I'm sorry, you know. About July 4th. I shouldn't have ditched you."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have. But you're forgiven, m'lady."

"Thanks," Ariel sighed with relief.

"So, are we friends now?" Juliet asked.

"Hey," Ariel threw her arm around Juliet's shoulders. "We never stopped."

~

That weekend, Juliet and Ben gathered at Juliet's place of work, the Twilight Drive-In. Juliet was on a break, and Ben and she were talking about all the evidence they had.

"Listen, Ben, we need to find out where Gerard Grundy is from, and his criminal record, and stuff like that," Juliet said nonchalantly.

"What? The music teacher? Why?" Ben asked, surprised. This was the first time he was hearing anything about Gerard Grundy.

"I heard Janessa was having a music tutoring thing with Gerard Grundy. I don't know, we just need to check her off of the list," Juliet said, trying to just get Ben to agree to do it. She didn't have the guts to face her best-friend's predator.

"Guess how much sense you're making, Jules. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Nein sense."

Juliet looked at Benedict hesitantly. "Okay, fine. But Mr. Grundy was at Sweetwater River that morning, on the 4th of July."

"How do you know that?" Ben asked, half-skeptical, half-amazed.

"I might or might not have passive-aggressively interrogated our resident pro-gun girl Dahlia Doiley," Juliet smirked.

Ben blinked, surprised. "Okay, but what other evidence do you have?"

"I think there was a student. With him," Juliet stated.  _Please don't ask who was the student._

"Any idea who was the student? Maybe we could ask him or her about Grundy first."

 _What do I say now? The truth?_ "I think...I think it was Ariel."

Ben almost toppled off of his chair. "What?" he said, his expression a mix of confusion and anger.

"I...I just  _think,_ alright?"

"Are you saying we have a predator in our school, Jules?"

Juliet looked at Ben, her eyes a little wide. She pursed her lips nervously and looked away. "Maybe."

"Wow. Sure, I think I can interview Gerard Grundy or something. Say I'm interested in pursuing music. I can help," Ben said.

"Please, don't tell Ariel," Juliet pleaded.

"But what makes you think it was Ariel?"

Juliet nervously looked away again. She blinked and sighed. "I saw Gerard Grundy kiss Ariel in the music room. Once. And I think Ariel ditched me for him on the 4th of July."

Ben's jaw dropped. "That...does not sound like Ari at all."

Juliet smirked. "That's because it isn't. Grundy is manipulating our friend, and I don't want to go to the school. I want to show Ariel that Grundy is using her, and I want her to break it off herself. You get me, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I do. Why did you keep this from me?" Ben asked, a little angry.

"I didn't know what to do, I'm sorry," Juliet said.

Ben shook his head and smiled, the anger fading as quickly as it had come. "It's okay."

~

That night, Ben went deep into the internet. He searched everything for a Gerard Grundy in Riverdale and used Mr. Grundy's photos to search for his social media accounts or any internet trail.

And thirty minutes later, he printed out a eulogy by the late Gerard Grundy's wife for her dead husband, and an obituary, and the photo of the criminal Orlando Phil, who looked exactly like Gerard Grundy. He filed it and wrote in his diary about how crazy it was, that his friend was falling prey to Grundy. It was a nightmare.

The next evening, Juliet stormed inside Pop's and hauled Ariel out by the arm. Ariel tried to protest, but Ben was furious. He loved his friend, and she was ruining her life for a shady man like Orlando Phil.

From inside Pop's, Vermont and Katrina wondered what the hell their friends were hiding from them. Juliet tried her best to keep Vermont's nose inside his own business, but that was clearly not happening.

Vermont followed Ariel and Ben out, and Juliet followed Vermont. Juliet thought that for once, Vermont could leave Ariel and Ben alone. Apparently not. So, she followed him, to be a buffer. Monkey see, monkey do.

Ben held a file in his hand, and seemed to yelling at Ariel. "Gerard Grundy is the dead ex-manager of Grundy Provisions in the Southside. He died four years ago, and his wife wrote him a beautiful eulogy that states how much he is not a thirtysomething music teacher at Riverdale High School. Orlando Phil, however, is a convicted offender who left jail in Kansas and completely fell off the grid. And he looks exactly like your criminal boyfriend, Ari," Ben hissed.

Vermont stared at Ari, shocked. "I'm really wishing I stayed in with Kat right now." Vermont looked at Kat through the big windows, who was nonchalantly scrolling through her phone.  _The picture of innocence,_ Vermont thought.

Ariel, however, had something to say to Juliet. "I thought I asked you to stay out of my business," she hissed.

"And I said I'd give you all the evidence in the world that Gerard Grundy, or should I say, Orlando Phil, was using you."

Ariel looked at Juliet sullenly. She looked like a grounded adolescent, like a wronged person. Vermont just stood next to Ben, ensuring hell didn't break out between their two friends.

Vermont said softly to Ariel, "You saw the evidence, Ari," Vermont said calmly. "He's manipulating you," Ben said sympathetically. Ariel stared at Juliet, both the girls' expressions unreadable.

"I'm going to talk to Gerard, right now. I know he's still at school. And you are not allowed to come."

Ariel left. Vermont looked at Ben's unreadable face. "You did the right thing. I would have gone to the cops, but you did the right thing."

Ben looked at Juliet, who tried her best to smile. Ben sighed. "I'm going home."

~


	7. The Agenda of Chester Blossom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: TW: Panic Attack ( a very mild description)

**A/N: TW - panic attack (a very mild description)**

 

Vermont went home as well, and was welcomed home by his mother, Hermione, who greeted him with a somber, "Chester is here."

 _Chester? Chester Blossom?_ Vermont thought, shocked.

Sure enough, Chester Blossom was at the Pembrooke, looking around Vermont's house.

"Not as grand as the Thornhill, but it's still not that bad," Chester smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to thank you, for helping me at the game. With my attack. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"It's fine, Chester. Shit hits people sometimes, it's fine."

"Right, except I was wondering if you could indulge me in a favour..." Chester trailed off.

"What do you want?" Vermont said, half-irritatedly.

"Listen, if it's too inconvenient, I'll just..." Chester said, starting to leave.

"No, no, I'm just tired. Sorry for snapping at you," Vermont said.

"...okay. Okay. I just wondered if you could stay over at Thornhill with me next Friday evening? I just needed a friend before the wake on Saturday. We could go together. The whole town is invited."

"...I...sure?" Vermont guessed. He was free anyway.

Chester beamed. He then left, saying he had a curfew.

 _What self-respecting sixteen-year-old has a curfew?_ Vermont thought.

~

Juliet went back to her place of work, to receive bad news. Hell was coming down on her.

"What the hell do you mean the Drive-In is closing down?" she asked, shocked.

The manager said sadly, "It's not the 1970s anymore. Mayor McCoy said she found someone to buy the land and change it to a shopping complex."

"When do I have to leave by?" Juliet asked, trying not to break down.

"Soon. I'm sorry, Ms. Jones," the manager said.

"Is there nothing I can do?" Juliet tried to keep her hopes up.

"You could talk to the mayor, but beyond that? I don't think so," the manager said, a little blunt.

Juliet lay on her flimsy mattress, wondering when the hell it slipped her mind that every single second she breathed was time borrowed from this dark future she was heading recklessly into.

~

Ariel was at Riverdale High School. "My friends know, Gerard," she said softly.

The rage in his eyes was foreign, and for a second, she wondered if she was staring into the eyes of Orlando Phil, the convicted offender.

"What?" he snarled, his lips ripping apart and forming a terrifying tapestry. And for the first time, Ariel wondered if it was a bad decision to meet him in the night in school, all alone.

~

Benedict was at the dining table, his head down in shame.

"So your friend was in an illicit relationship with a predator and you did nothing," she stated bluntly.

Ben had walked in on his mother reading his diary, where there was enough evidence that Gerard Grundy was actually not a music teacher at all.

"Do you know where Ariel is?"

Ben decided to look down, and not respond at all.

"Do you know where Ariel is, Benedict Earl Cooper?" Alice yelled.

Ben looked up, and whispered inaudibly, "She's in school. With Grundy."

"Oh my God. You let her go all alone?" Alice yelled.

"I didn't know what to do," Ben cried.

"You, young man, are in huge trouble. But first, we are going to the Andrews', and then we're going to school."

So that was what they did.

~

"We regret to inform you that Gerard Grundy will not be teaching music anymore at this school. All music lessons are suspended until further notice," Principal Weatherbee announced next morning.

Vermont looked to Ben for an explanation. "My mom found my research and my diary. She exposed Ariel and that sicko to her dad that night and took my evidence to the principal this morning, and he fired him immediately."

"Is Ariel in trouble?"

"No, because we didn't say anything about her. Orlando faking his identity was enough to send him back to jail."

"Okay, that's good."

"Ariel's grounded for two weeks."

"That's sad, but at least she's not in a relationship with Grundead anymore."

"Yeah, I guess," Ben said.

"Don't worry about Ariel. She'll find out how much she was being predated on by Grundead."

Chester Blossom came in front of the stands. "I heard what you did to that sick criminal teacher. Good job, nightmare Smurf!" he winked. Ben looked at Chester sullenly.

Vermont wondered where the vulnerable, lonely Chester went. Did he stay at home? Vermont was in genuine awe at this façade.

"To celebrate your bravery, o great knight, I would like to treat you to Pop's tonight? That sound good?"

Juliet munched on some fries. "Would you like to indulge me in some Pop's too?"

"No, just actual people, thank you, hobo," Chester said sarcastically. "So, Benny-love, are we set? It'll be a date, if you really do swing the other way!" he laughed.

"I don't exactly have a choice, do I?" Ben said like a tired child.

Chester laughed again, that humorless, empty laugh. "You're smart. See you at 8!"

~

Chester laughed, even though Ben had not cracked a joke. "You know, I really misjudged you. You're funny!"

"You thought I wasn't funny?" Ben asked, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, Benny, I thought you weren't a lot of things."

"Um...okay?"

"So, how's Parker doing with Janessa's passing?" Chester asked softly.

Ben stared hard and long at Chester, wondering how the hell he was supposed to steer the conversation away from here. He looked away and then gulped.

"I...he's doing better, I suppose," he sighed.

"You...suppose?" Chester asked, confused.

"I didn't realize this was about Janessa and Parker," Ben snapped.

Chester rolled his eyes. "God, you're such a dumb cow. My whole life revolves around Janessa now."

Ben sat back, leaning against the plush seats. "I don't think I can tell you anything."

Chester laughed. "Oh, Benedict, you desperate armadillo, I just want to know if you psychotic patient of a brother murdered my sister!"

And Ben felt it again. The anger. It coursed through each fibre of each muscle, pulsating, yelling at him to take Chester's head and crush it against the table ten times, until he wasn't breathing anymore.

"Leave."

"Not before you tell me-" Chester started.

"Chester," Ben hissed, leaning close to his face, "Leave before I kill you."

Fear flooded Chester's face, a hurricane of anxiety. Chester knew that Ben was being serious.

"Get. Out," Ben said again.

But Chester was frozen, and he felt the air leaving his lungs again. He looked straight at Ben, trying not to let his nervousness show. He needed to know what the hell happened to Janessa.

Ben took his drink and poured it onto Chester pants, and then slammed the plastic milk shake cup on the table. And then he stormed out of Pop's, trying to figure what to do with his underwhelmed rage, who was urging him to go back and finish either Chester or himself.

Chester meanwhile, stared at his now-white pants, trying to calm his breath. He had known messing with Ben had been a bad idea. But he knew Ben and that Jones girl had been poking around, and he thought maybe Ben really did know something about Parker and Janessa. He took a deep breath, which he exhaled staggeringly. He tried to mop up the mess, and gave up, ignoring the staring eyes of the rest of the diner before leaving and driving back to Thornhill.

~

Vermont's chauffeur drove him to Thornhill, that elusive mansion at the edge of Riverdale, close to Sweetwater River, on Friday evening. He could not stop himself from shivering, and he wished he had Ben with him. But Chester and Ben were colder than ever at the moment. Vermont snorted inside the car. There was never a time Chester and Ben had  _not_ been cold towards each other. So, this bridge Vermont had to cross himself.

Vermont had asked Kat about Thornhill, and she had said it was Riverdale's perfect haunted mansion. The Blossoms had owned it before the beginning of time, and it had its very own graveyard, to give disgruntled spirits luxury to sleep in between their hauntings. Obviously, Kat had a gift for exaggerating the littlest of details, so Vermont had a huge grain of salt handy with him.

But Kat had not been exaggerating at all. Thornhill seemed to be trapped in a cloudy everlasting mist, lending a wet and cold atmosphere to the entire mansion. It was always dark, the Thornhill mansion exuded a feeling of darkness, of eternal winter. Vermont's dramatic streak felt that only bad things happened to people who lived in Thornhill. The main house was a dark, brick red, almost the color of dried blood. Ornate designs covered the window grills, and the gates. Vermont felt like he was being watched the moment he entered the gates. He felt jealous of the chauffeur, who got to leave immediately. Standing with his bag, he raised his fist to knock on the door. But before he could, Chester opened the door way too enthusiastically.

"Hi!" Chester said with a beaming smile. Vermont could see the slight jump Chester did when he said that. For some reason, he wondered if Chester even had anybody else at home.

"Hey," he replied. Chester and Vermont went up some long flights of stairs to Chester's room. Inside there were two beds, one empty and smooth, and there was little to no decorations in the room. It was dark, like the rest of Thornhill, but Vermont could imagine living here a little bit. Chester seemed to be...studying?

"Were you studying?" Vermont asked, seeing Chester in a new light.

Chester winked. "Come on, Vermin, I do have a 4.0 GPA to keep up, you know."

Vermont was genuinely surprised. Chester seemed to be the sort of person who peaked in high school, who would end up going to some far-off university with the help of his parents, and end up back in Riverdale, working for his father. Apparently, his own judgment was severely uninformed. Chester cleared his books, meticulously placing them on the bookshelf, each shelf labelled with a subject. He then proceeded to check off some things off of a to-do list and then smiled contentedly to himself. Vermont felt like he was in an alternate reality.

Vermont and Chester sat on their beds, and then weirdly, just started talking. Chester, absurdly, did not have any video games and did not really have any other source of entertainment other than books.

Soon enough, the conversation wandered to Janessa. Chester brought out an album full of baby pictures of Janessa and him, and Vermont and Chester shared stories of themselves over the years.

Chester showed him a recent picture of Janessa, standing in front of a snowy mountain somewhere in a far-off holiday destination, playing with her scarf. "Janessa was really pretty," Vermont said, hoping it wouldn't sound creepy.

"She was. She was the prettiest," Chester said softly, almost reverently. He then cleared his throat. "She would have liked you," he stated. Vermont didn't know how to respond to that. Was it a compliment if a dead girl could have liked you?

"I'm sorry if that sounded a little creepy," Chester said laughingly.

"It's okay," Vermont said.

"That's Janessa's bed. We used to share a room. Do you mind taking it?" Chester asked. Vermont shook his head no, even though it did, very much. Who the hell wanted to sleep in a dead girl's bed?

"Listen, I know tonight turned out to be really super weird. I just wanted to thank you for helping me with that incident at the game. I'm sorry if you're super creeped out right now," Chester rushed.

Vermont replied, equally as rushed, "No, no, it's not creepy. I'm having a good time, really."

"No, you're not. I don't have anything fun to do at home. I used to have some video and board games that I used to play with Janessa but I threw those out. I gave away most of our books. I just don't have the head space for entertainment anymore, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Vermont said softly. When Chester expressed how he was doing, he was always in a rush, Vermont noticed. As if he felt like it was a waste of time, it sounded like his voice was running. Vermont didn't understand why, but he felt like this different Chester made the way Chester was like at school and to other people. And somehow, Vermont felt like he understood this Chester, even if he was in a creepy mansion in a cold part of town, sleeping in a dead girl's bed.

"When they came to get my father, they took everything from everybody's rooms, it was all evidence. I felt like...I felt like they took me with them too. Like I was a piece of evidence," Vermont said, his voice shaking. It was a whole new low pitch, almost fading into silence. A whisper that didn't want to exist, but had to.

"And I mean, I felt like I  _was._ I was a terrible person. I had no friends, I only had pawns. I used people as fast as I met them. I manipulated people, sometimes I did things I couldn't make up for," Vermont said. He was slow, deliberate and soft. "And when they came to get my dad, it felt like all my wretchedness was evidence. I was such a terrible person. How could such a terrible person have a clean dad? I know that's screwed up. But that's what I thought. Somehow, it felt like it was  _my_ fault, even though I had no idea my dad was doing shady things. And till today, I don't even know the damage he caused. Hell, I won't ever know the damage I caused to other people, people who thought they were my friends."

Chester looked at Vermont, at this small boy pretending to be a confident and comfortable person. And he didn't want to, but he saw a version of himself in Vermont. He didn't want to.

"I want to change, but I'm scared. What if I can't? Or what if I change too much? How much change is too much? And fighting with Ben...it was terrible. I felt like even when trying to be better, I just wasn't destined to have friends. It felt disgusting.  _I_ felt disgusting," Vermont said.

Chester nodded. "I mean. I guess you won't know how much change is enough until you allow yourself to change, right?" Vermont looked up, surprised. Was this turning into a heart-to-heart? Was he having a heart-to-heart with  _Chester Blossom?_

"What about you? Losing Janessa must feel terrible," Vermont prompted.

"I feel like...I feel like I'm one-half of a whole. And I'm just walking around, pretending to be a person, but I'm not. I'm not one entire person. I feel like a ghost standing in my place, almost. Or even worse than a ghost. Like an apparition, that people just walk through. I used to define myself relative to Janessa. And now that she's gone..." Chester trailed off.

Vermont felt overloaded with Chester's words. He spoke fast again like he was running from something. And Vermont wanted to say something, to offer comfort. "And...these panic attacks. I live in fear of them. I've had at least five by now. And the other day, at Pop's, when Ben threw that milk shake down at me, I had my fifth one on the drive back home. I had to park at one side and calm myself down. I've never felt so alone. I have no friends, so. It's always just been Janessa and me. Now it's just me," Chester said hurriedly.

"Maybe we could be friends," Vermont offered, smiling. "And when you feel like you can't breathe, you can call one of us..."

"One of you? So like you and the rest of your gang? Benedick would just pinch my nose and kill me right there." Chester snorted. It was like Vermont witnessed a wall erupt from the ground and erect itself in front of Chester.

"You know his name is Benedict. And why do you hate him so much?" Vermont said, teetering on anger.

"Oh my God," Chester groaned. "It's...it's because  _everyone_ , literally  _everyone_ likes Benedict damn Cooper more than me. I'm jealous, you got me, Lodge. Hell, even you like Ben better than me. You were basically mourning the loss of your two-hour friendship," Chester said, basically hissing and spitting at Vermont.

Vermont rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I like Ben more than you. It's because Ben's nicer to people naturally than you are. You hide from the whole world so much, you show the world Chester Blossom, the snooty asshole who makes people cry for the sake of it, instead of the little guy in front of me who misses his sister and reads books like Catcher in the Rye and gets a 4.0 GPA."

Chester stared at Vermont with an unreadable expression for a minute. "Whatever," he shrugged. "I don't care," he emphasized in reply.

"Let's go for dinner," Chester said bluntly.

~

"So, Chester, have you prepared a eulogy for your sister?" Penelope Blossom asked her son.

Vermont picked at his food. This seemed to be appropriate dinner conversation.

"Yes, mother," Chester said, pulling out a piece of loose leaf. Taking it from him, Mrs. Blossom started to read, nodding approvingly. Chester fought a smile. It seemed like he was about to get his mother's approval without fighting for it, for once.

"No. You can't read this out at someone's wake, for Christ's sake," Mrs. Blossom spat. Chester's face fell.

Clifford Blossom took the eulogy, and after reading it wordlessly tore the paper and crushed it into a ball, putting it next to his plate. "Chester, you should just stay at home. Your mother and I can handle this," Clifford ordered.

Chester stayed silent. Vermont wanted to say something, but he seemed to be stuck in a weird position of a mere spectator.

"You can't just kick me out of my own sister's wake, Father," Chester said, as calmly as he could.

"Yes, Chester, he can, if you plan to defile your sister like that in her eulogy, you conniving rascal," his mother rolled her eyes. Vermont almost choked on his garlic bread.  _Conniving rascal?_ Vermont thought.  _That seemed to be a little mean, even if for Chester._

"Mother, what did I even write that was so horrifying?" Chester asked, struggling to keep his patience.

His mother was about to speak when his father interrupted. "How about the fact that the entire eulogy was about you? How many times do we need to hear that you were going to bring justice to her? Have you? You haven't. So how about you stop lying for attention, Chester."

His mother glared at her husband. Vermont thought,  _finally, stand up for your son!_

"Next time, when someone asks  _me_ a question, how about you let me answer it, Clifford?" she said icily. Vermont fought the urge to roll his eyes. Chester's disposition at school seemed to be genetic.

Clifford Blossom ignored that jab. "Chester, you will not be going to the funeral, do you understand?"

"But, father...I haven't even done anything!"

His mother snarled, "Oh, is that so? Then why were Janessa and you at Sweetwater on July 4th? You haven't told us that yet."

Chester looked down at his shaking hands and did not reply.

"So many secrets, Chester. Your secrets are guilty of killing your sister. Do you understand that?" Penelope Blossom spat at her own son.

Chester's tears fell on his shaking palms, as his ragged breath managed to say, "Yes, yes mother."

~


	8. They Are The Hunters, We Are The Foxes

Ariel, Kat, Ben and Juliet headed to Thornhill Mansion, accompanied by their parents and Hermione Lodge, Vermont's mom. Ariel was bringing Janessa's swim team jacket, which Janessa used to be the captain of. Upon entering the mansion, Ariel sought out Penelope Blossom and handed her the swim team jacket. It was a windbreaker of sorts, with Blossom in varsity-style lettering bolded at the back. It was a sign of pride for anyone in Riverdale High who wore it.

"This belonged to Janessa. The swim team is sorry for your loss, Mrs. Blossom. She was wonderful and we will never forget her," Ariel said softly, respectfully.

Penelope Blossom smiled. "You are so thoughtful, Ariel," Penelope thanked her. And then, she looked at Ariel's eyes, searching for something. Penelope's eyes filled up with tears. "You look so much like her," Penelope smiled. "You're beautiful, Ariel, just like her," Penelope said, moving a stray strand of hair lovingly from blocking Ariel's face, tucking it behind Ariel's ear. Ariel wanted to run. Mrs. Blossom's finger was absurdly cold like she was a ghost. And the general chill of Thornhill was getting to Ariel.

Vermont entered the venue of the wake, looking for his friends. He found Kat, and almost cried out loud in relief. He quickly hurried over to her and Ben. "Where's Chester?" Kat asked curiously.

"I don't think he's coming," Vermont stated.

"What?" Ben asked. Juliet was there, right next to Ben (absurdly, Vermont noticed), who raised her eyebrows at Vermont's statement.

"Yeah, his parents basically banned him from the wake. It's terrible," Vermont finished.

The priest first spoke, and then his father, mother, and a couple of aunts and uncles delivered short, almost unemotional speeches. And then, all of a sudden, Chester entered the room, wearing a white shirt and white pants, looking like a horror movie character. Ben held his breath. "Those were the clothes Doiley found Chester in," Ben told Vermont.

Vermont, shocked out of his mind, whispered, "No..."

To which Kat comically responded, almost like a sensationalizing journalist, "Oh my God...yes!"

Chester approached the podium, where he took out another piece of paper.

"Janessa was more than a sister to me. She was my constant rock, she was the one who both accepted me for who I am, and who encouraged me to become who I should be. She was my soulmate, and I needed her more than I needed anyone else. Losing her this early in my life has been excruciating, to say the least. I'm sure it's been painful for everyone in this room. I think when I move ahead, beyond this, I will find comfort in the fact that I am not alone in my pain, and that there is a room full of people who cared for such a beautiful and amazing person."

Chester had said all the right things. How the hell did his parents veto this? "And over these days, I have learned that everyone who knew Janessa, even slightly, has done their best to help the investigation. People like Ariel, and many others who have spoken to the police, giving them important information. Then who am I not do my part?"

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

"So, today, with a clear conscience, Sherriff Keller, I would like to tell you that I am guilty."

~

Chester Blossom? Guilty of beloved sister's murder? It seemed so, at that moment, to the whole town of Riverdale. Some were surprised, others claimed they had seen it coming. Who else could have killed the beloved twin? The hated twin, obviously.

Sherriff Keller drove the Blossom family in his private car. Clifford Blossom stared outside the window, wondering what was going to happen. Penelope sat at the back with their estranged son, who felt like he was swimming in a thick, suffocating container of tar. His mother had been right. Secrets killed Janessa Blossom.

At the station, Sherriff Keller sat Chester Blossom down in the interrogation room and gave him a pen and a pad of paper, asking him to write down what exactly had happened.

_At 8 am on the 4th of July, Jannesa Blossom and I went to Sweetwater River. She had asked for my help to run away to Greendale, a town on the other side of the River. She had mentioned that Parker Cooper was to meet her in Greendale, where they would figure out where to go next. I left him at the banks of Greendale and rowed back, before purposely capsizing the boat and almost drowning, to make it seem like she disappeared. I do not know if Parker Cooper arrived at their rendezvous point. Janessa was supposed to meet me on the 13th of July, Friday, near Sweetwater River, but she never arrived._

Sherriff Keller read his report, before asking abruptly, "Wait, this is all? There's nothing else you're guilty of? Besides keeping your sister's secret?"

Chester leaned forward and said, "There is no universe in which I would kill my own sister."

Sherriff Keller nodded, before leading him out of the interrogation room, to the hands of his parents.

Clifford Blossom grabbed onto his son, pushing him out of the police station. His mother, walking in front, hissed, "Next time you want to confess to something, how about you tell us first?"

Chester smirked. He'd done it. He'd finally gotten his parents' attention.

~

The morning after the wake, Ariel decided to treat herself to breakfast at Pop's. To her surprise, Ben and Juliet were there as well.

Ariel approached the booth, before sitting opposite Ben. "Hey, Jules. Hey, Ben," Ariel said, addressing Ben softer than she greeted Juliet.

"Hi, Ariel," Ben said.

"You know, Ben, I've missed you," Ariel said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah?" Ben challenged, before saying, "Yeah. Me too."

"I am sorry, Ben. I don't know what came over me. I messed up," Ariel apologized.

"You didn't mess up," Ben said nicely. "Okay, maybe. A little. But the brunt of the blame still goes to Orlando Phil," Ben gritted.

Ariel nodded. "You too, Juliet. Thanks for getting me out of that mess. I'm so sorry the two of you had to do that."

Juliet smiled. "Friendship," Juliet said sophistically. "This is what it's for," she continued.

"I love you guys," Ariel said.

Ben smiled right back and felt his life return to normal a little more.

"So..." Ariel winked. "Are you guys on a date?"

"What?" Juliet almost spat out her drink. "No way," she said, all too quickly. Ben tried to hide a blush, but his light skin failed.

"Oh my God, look at you closeted lovebirds." Ariel sighed.

"No, no, no," Ben cough-laughed. "It's just that this is basically Juliet's natural habitat, especially since they closed the Drive-In, so whenever I need to talk, this is where I come."

Ariel ignored the pang of jealousy when Ben said that. It was usually Ariel who Ben used to talk to. But ever since her involvement with that nightmare, she had spent less time with her friends. Hell, she'd almost lost all her friends except for Kat and Vermont. But something else bothered her more.

"Wait, what do you mean, natural habitat?" Ariel asked Juliet.

Ben laughed. "Ari, Jules is like. Always here," Ben said, not realizing the implication.

"Don't you go home?" Ariel asked Juliet, a little too sharply.

Juliet's smiled faded. "Of course I go home, Ariel, what kind of a question is that?"

Ariel shrugged, not being able to get rid of the egging thought that Juliet was hiding something.

~

Juliet watched the Drive-In getting demolished by the developers. She pulled her beanie lower on her head. She picked up her backpack and began to leave the compound.

Across the compound, a bunch of people clad in leather and sneers watched Juliet. Serpents.

The Southside Serpents were Riverdale's only major gang, and they were the only so-called pests in Riverdale. Mayor McCoy had done as much as she could to get rid of the gang, but they were still alive as ever. They were the trademark dark side of Riverdale, and Juliet wished she wasn't associated with them.

But she was.

A tall, rugged, middle-aged man headed over to Julie. "Hey, kid, what're you going to do now?" he asked, almost sympathetically. Juliet saw the actual words the man wanted to say, but couldn't.  _Come back home._

"I'll find a place, dad. I always do."

"I love you, Julie," her dad said wistfully.

"Me too dad," Juliet smiled, before leaving the compound.

~

Juliet was over at Ben's house for breakfast. Alice Cooper welcomed Juliet into her house and served her some orange juice, pancake, bacon, and eggs. Juliet smiled. "Wow, this is extremely elaborate, Mrs. Cooper, thank you."

Alice smiled. "How is your father doing, Juliet?"

"He's-he's fine," Juliet said hurriedly.

"And your mother?"

"She's fine too, Mrs. Cooper," Juliet replied politely.

"You know, your father and I...," Alice said, before trailing off. After slight, almost unnoticeable hesitation, she continued. "We...we go way back."

Juliet nodded, swallowing some bacon.

"How's school been treating you, Juliet? I sure hope all this brouhaha about Janessa Blossom isn't distracting you," Alice said, with a slight laugh. Ben was surprised. In his opinion, the "brouhaha" involved her older son too, but who the hell was going to try and knock sense into Alice Cooper?

Juliet laughed back uncomfortably. "I'm fine, not distracted," she replied. She looked at Ben, who nodded imperceptibly. She stood up, coughing and said, "Can you please show me where the restroom is, Mrs. Cooper?"

Alice stood up and led Juliet to the restroom, which, conveniently, was on the other end. This gave Ben enough time to dig his mother's bag for any kind of clue about Parker and take pictures. He found her accounts book and hurriedly took pictures from the recent few months. Hearing footsteps, he hurried back to the table and resumed his breakfast, trying to hide a smile.

Juliet and he made a good team.

~

"Wellington Home for Troubled Men," Ben said slowly, reading out the picture at Pop's, Juliet with him.

Juliet quickly typed the name into the search engine and found that it was near Riverdale. "Do you think they'll let you visit Parker or does your mother control his guest allowances?" she asked.

Ben shrugged, not really paying attention to Juliet. He just knew he wanted to go. "You should go and visit him. Or at least try." Ben nodded, and then stayed silent for a little while. Juliet enjoyed her snack.

"Can you come? With me, please?" Ben asked sincerely.

"Are you sure you want me to?" Juliet asked.

"I...yeah, I'm sure," Ben said confidently.

"I don't mind, Ben," Juliet smiled, holding Ben's hand on the table. Ben looked down at his hand and found himself not wanting to let go.

"Thanks, Julie," Ben said.

Juliet beamed. That was a nice nickname.

~

That Wednesday, Ariel was scheduled for a private coaching session with Rachel Mantle in the wee hours of the morning, specifically; 4 am. Rachel was the other potential competitor for the captain of the swim team. After the session, Rachel went back home, while Ariel decided to take a shower in the girls' locker room.

When she went inside, to her surprise, she found Juliet, freshly showered, brushing her teeth. It was almost bizarre, not seeing Juliet in a beanie.

"Jules?" Ariel asked incredulously.

Juliet spun around, shocked. "Ari..." Juliet said, trailing off in greeting. "What are you doing here?"

"I just had a private session with the coach. She wanted to see who was better, Rachel or me, so she could make a decision for captain."

"Is Rachel better?"

"I hope not. Captain of a successful swim team would look dashing in college applications. Besides, she's already Head Cheerleader, does she really need Swim Team Captain?" Ariel asked.

"Oh, chill, Ari. You're going to get it."

"What about you, Jules? What're you doing here?" Ariel asked.

"The water in the trailer is dirty as hell, so I come here," Juliet stated.

"This early?" Ariel prodded, suspicious.

Juliet didn't answer, as she was rinsing her mouth. She took her time to rinse. Ariel waited patiently, or maybe impatiently. "No, seriously, Jules, what the hell are you doing in school at 5.30 am in the morning?"

"Calm down, Ari," Juliet said trying to pacify Ariel.

"No. Tell me what the hell is going on."

Juliet nodded, not meeting Ariel's eye. She walked out of the locker room, towards the science labs, knowing Ariel would follow. Then she opened a closet door under the staircase.

"It was abandoned. I used to be at the Drive-In, but then it closed down. So I moved here. It's nice. I don't have to worry about being late to school, and I don't-" Juliet said, trying to justify her "settlement".

"I'm telling my dad. You're going to live with us for a while," Ariel offered.

"Ari, you really don't-" Juliet tried to convince Ariel, but was silenced by Ariel's glare.

"Come on, we're going to Pop's for breakfast. I'm not going to leave you alone ever again," Ariel said.

"I know you're being friendly, but that is wandering into stalker territory," Juliet joked. Ariel laughed, rolling her eyes.

~

"Thanks for helping me out, Julie," Ben said, not noticing Juliet's blush when he said his exclusive nickname for her.

"Friendship, darling," Juliet said humorously. The looming façade of the Wellington Home for Troubled Young Men, well, frankly, troubled Ben. It was dark, guarded by spoiled statues of nightmarish gargoyles. Ben gulped his fear down and walked towards the entrance with a steady gait. Confidence was the key to everything.

"Hi," he greeted the person at the desk. "My name's Benedict Cooper, can I visit Parker Cooper?"

The person, surprised, looked up at Ben. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. ID?"

Ben nodded and passed the receptionist his driver's license. "Oh, and...who is she?" the receptionist pointed to Juliet. "She's with me, she's a cousin," Ben explained.

The receptionist nodded, not believing a single word. Nevertheless, she showed Ben where Parker was. Ben walked down a couple of hallways and then stood confronted by the door to Parker's room. Ben looked at Juliet nervously. She smiled and nodded encouragingly.

Ben knocked on the door.

~

Meanwhile, Fred and Ariel were having dinner back at home. "Dad, can I ask you something?" Ariel asked, a little nervous.  _Come on, he loves Juliet too. He'll do it._

"Sure, Ariel," her dad said, forking some greens into his mouth.

"Listen, so I went for my early session with Coach Wells this morning, and I found out that Juliet's not living with Mr. Jones anymore."

Mr. Andrews almost spat out his food. "What?" he asked, shocked, his mouth full.

"Yeah..."Ariel nodded.

"Then where's she living?" Fred asked his daughter adamantly.

"She's living at school," Ariel said sympathetically.

"Seriously?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, dad," Ariel said.

"That's horrifying. She's going to live with us. No option here. I'll talk to her dad too. Ask him to get a job or something," Fred speculated.

"You think he'll listen to you?" Ariel asked.

"If he doesn't listen to me, the only other person he'll listen to is his own daughter."

~

"Ben?" Parker yelled, surprised. Beaming, he leaped into Ben's arms.

"My little brother is here!" Parker laughed, ruffling Ben's hair. Ben cringed and smiled at Juliet. Juliet smiled back. She looked at the duo wistfully. It was amazing to see a family reunion. No matter the conflict, there was always happiness in a family reunion. Juliet wished she could have that. The last time she'd spoken to her dad was when she left the Drive-In. She dialed his number on her phone. If Ben could give his family a chance, surely she could too, right? And she held the phone to her ear, memorizing the dial tone when Parker asked the most absurd of questions.

"Is Janessa with you?" Parker asked, his eyes a little wild.

Ben's jaw dropped a little.  _What?_

"Ben? Is Janie with you?" Parker asked.

Parker let Ben go abruptly and ran out of the room, only to see Juliet. "You're not Janie," Parker stated, disappointed.

Juliet opened her mouth to say something but then thought better. Ben put a hand on Parker's shoulder from behind.

"Parker...Janessa's...Janessa passed away," Ben stated slowly.

Parker's face contorted into a pretzel of grief and horror as he collapsed onto the bed. "Wh-what happened to her?" he asked between sobs.

"She was..." Ben looked to Juliet, and Juliet nodded. Parker deserved the truth and nothing but the truth.

"She was shot," Ben muttered. It was heartbreaking to watch Parker's face fall. It was like a house of cards, fast yet devastating. "No...," he said, trailing off. And then, loudly, forcefully, he said, "No!"

Ben tried not to cry, hugging his brother. "I'm sorry, Parker..."

Juliet wanted to do something, but all she heard was hurried footsteps down the hall. And all of a sudden, Alice Cooper's voice said, "Get Parker to a more secure room, please, nurse," Alice said. The nurse grabbed Parker away from Ben, and both brothers started yelling to let Parker go. Separation, Juliet noted. It happened inevitably. Alice's eyes brimmed with tears as she strained her younger son. "Ben, I'm sorry, Ben, I'm sorry," she chanted to her son, who was fully crying by now.

Ben jumped out of his mother's grasp and glared at her. "You didn't even tell him about Janessa," Ben accused.

"You don't understand."

"Of course I don't understand. You know why? Because you never even told me anything!" Ben yelled in his mother's face.

"You will not talk to your mother like this," Alice spat. "You're grounded. Two weeks. I'm your mother, and I know what's best for you, and I definitely know what's best for Parker," Alice emphasized.

Juliet, watching the exchange, pressed the red button on the keypad. The call going to the contact named "dad" ended up becoming a missed call. A missed opportunity to reconnect, for Juliet. A missed opportunity for good change, for Ben.

A missed opportunity to heal their families, for both.

~


	9. A Second Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: TW: Graphic Description of Self-Harm. Please don't read that part if it is triggering for you.

**(A/N: Graphic description of self-harm. Please don't read it if that topic is triggering for you.)**

**~**

 

Juliet found herself back at Pop's, where Fred Andrews and his daughter came and sat down in front of her. Juliet quickly connected the dots.

"I spoke to your father," Fred said.

"That makes one of us," Juliet said sarcastically.

"He says it would be good if you stayed with Ariel and me for a while before he gets a job," Fred

Juliet sighed. "I'm already a burden to many. You don't have to join the list."

"You're not a burden to me," Ariel stated, and Fred nodded.

"I will be, when my dad fails to get a job and you have to give me a roof for eternity," Juliet snapped.

Fred, tired of the negotiations, said, "Juliet, it wasn't exactly a request. Your dad and I decided you will be living with us."

Juliet glared at Fred for a little while, before sighing.

"I'm sorry for being difficult, Mr. Andrews, it's just that it's been hard for me lately," Juliet explained. Fred nodded understandingly.

"I'm grateful for the invitation, Mr. Andrews. When can I move in?"

Fred grinned like Christmas game early. "Right now, Juliet," Ariel said, winking. Juliet blinked and then smiled.  _Looks like hope,_ Ariel thought.

It looked good on Juliet.

~

At the dinner table, the Cooper family enjoyed their dinner. Alice's phone rang, which she picked up. "Hello...oh, good evening, Mrs. Terry, yes, it's me...yes, Hal and Ben are fine...me too...I should sit down...okay," Alice sat down, confused. "Uh-huh...sure...wait,  _what?_ " Alice asked, shock registering in her expression. "Okay, okay, I understand, thank you, Mrs. Terry."

Alice looked at her husband after hanging up. Ben and Hal both waited for Alice's summary of that intriguing call.

"It's Parker," Alice said, halfway to tears. "He ran away from Wellington."

You know how terrible it is to watch a terrible event play out on a screen, helpless, bound to your inertia? That was how Ben felt at that moment. His entire family was in shambles, and he was helpless. He was the youngest son, after all. He had little to no power, and he ruined his chances at reuniting his family anyway. A blunt, excruciating migraine settled in his temples. "I...I need to go to my room," Ben said, rushing up, his head in his hand, tears in his eyes.

~

**(A/N: TW: Graphic description of self-harm. Please don't read this if it is triggering for you.)**

It was 2 am, and Ben could barely sleep. Where was his brother? At this very moment? Was he alright? Was he safe? Did he have money to eat? What the hell was Parker thinking?

Ben stared at his ceiling, which was covered in fluorescent stars that barely worked anymore. Or maybe he'd just gotten used to the almost rude glow of it. Suddenly, a surge of anger came over him, and he stood on a chair and yanked every single star off of his ceiling.

He held the broken stars in his hand, and took one with an especially jagged end, and dragged it down his thigh, where the wound would join the rest of his scars. The star, surprisingly, drew blood. In a daze, Ben then took out a penknife from his drawer, something he had promised himself was strictly for dire situations.

 _Well, this is extremely dire,_ Ben thought in his head, and the lines on his thigh increased.

When he finally left his daze, he stared at his scars, counting them, again and again. It wasn't that many. He'd done more before. He sighed, disappointed in himself. But for what? For doing lesser than before? Or for succumbing to it? He had no idea. The disappointment was like a lead-weight dragging him down, something he wanted to get rid of. And at that moment, he only knew one way.

He got some tissue and started mopping up the blood, lines of red like grotesque embroidery on the thick 3-ply sheets. The blood seeped to the other side. When he'd finished, he folded the tissue safely and put it next to his pillow. He looked at the ridges on his skin. Something about it enchanted him, even though he knew that the high was temporary. He wiped the edge of the penknife with a napkin soaked in antiseptic liquid, even though there was no blood on it.

His fingers then started stretching the skin around the scars, careful not to get any blood on his fingers. His action drew more blood, which he then mopped up with the folded tissue again. He kept doing it, each cycle giving him a sense of control and routine. The blood soon just became a transparent liquid, making the tissue more transparent than white, the red like an engraving on cave walls. Each cycle made him feel calmer than before. Suddenly, there was a knock on his window. He quickly hid the penknife and antiseptic-soaked tissue in his drawer.

He went to his window, surprised to see Juliet there. "Hey, Romeo," she winked.

"Julie," Ben said, happy she was here. Seeing her, the empty, helpless feeling dulled but did not fade completely. Juliet climbed into Ben's room and gave Ben a hug. Ben was surprised. She was not the type to touch someone voluntarily. Juliet regularly threatened Ariel that she would cut Ariel's hair in her sleep if she hugged her out of the blue.

"I heard about Parker, from Ariel," Juliet said, sympathetically.

Ben tried to laugh, but it came out like a gurgle. "I...yeah. It's messed up, isn't it?"

"Are you okay?" Juliet asked, trying to look into Ben's eyes.

Ben tried not to make eye contact with her. He was afraid that she would see right through him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good," Ben stated, clearing his throat to sound more confident.

"Look me in the eye and say you're fine," Juliet insisted, like a drama movie.

Ben looked up, but he couldn't say anything. His mouth was a little open because he wanted to say it, but it just wasn't coming out.

Juliet pulled Ben into a tighter hug, and Ben gave in, burrowing his head into her shoulders. He pulled away, and then sat down on the bed, inviting Juliet.

"Thanks for checking on me even though I'm grounded," Ben smiled.

"Friendship, Cooper," Juliet winked. Suddenly, Ben remembered the battlefield on his thigh, and how if his shorts bunched up more, it would be utterly exposed. "Wait, it's really cold, let me slip into something comfier," Ben excused himself, digging out his sweatpants and going to the adjacent toilet.

He washed his face and made sure his hands had no red on them. Little did he know, his façade was useless.

When he came back out, Juliet was holding the reddish napkin.

"Ben..." she gasped.

"I thought I hid that," Ben gritted.

"It was on the bed," Juliet said softly.

Ben stayed silent. What was he supposed to say?

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Juliet asked.

Ben did, oh, he swore to God, he wanted to. But he felt like a deer trapped in headlights, frozen.

"That's okay," Juliet said. "I'll be here when and if you're ready," Juliet smiled. She crushed the napkin and chucked it in the trash.

Ben gulped. "Julie?" he croaked, his voice cracking.

She spun around, her hair fanning around her, her beanie dislodging itself slightly from its original position, now askew on her head. He moved closer to her and hugged her tight. He didn't want to let go, but he did. "Thank you. For understanding," Ben whispered.

Juliet smiled and kissed Ben on the cheek. "Friendship," she winked, before climbing out the window. He wanted her to stay. He'd never wanted to someone to stay that badly before.

~

The next morning, Juliet was surprised to see her father in the kitchen. "Dad," Juliet said, smiling. She wanted to go in for a hug but stopped herself.

"Hey, kiddo," FP said.

"I invited your dad here in celebration of him getting a job," Fred stated.

"What? Seriously?" Juliet beamed.

"Yeah, at Andrews Construction!" FP said, excited.

"Really? Thank you, Mr. Andrews! Congrats, dad!" Juliet jumped in excitement, clapping like a little child.

"It was Ariel's idea," Fred claimed.

"Thanks, Ari," she said, giving Ariel a quick hug.

FP asked, "So you coming back home, kiddo?"

And Juliet's face fell. Not. Yet.

"No, no, no, I get it," FP backtracked, watching his daughter's expression. Fred and Ariel looked at their feet, nervous at the awkward exchange.

"I miss you, kid," FP said, trying to smile.

Juliet didn't say anything back. She didn't feel it was time yet. "How about we celebrate this milestone first dad? Then we'll talk about me coming back home?" she suggested.

FP heard his daughter say,  _getting a job is not enough, especially when you've done so much._ And sadly, he found himself agreeing with his daughter. Under this roof, she could do better.

And that was pathetic.

~

Vermont looked at his search result for "Hiram Lodge".

**Vermont Lodge: The Life of the Son of a Criminal**

**Hiram Lodge: Embezzler Sent to Jail for 2 Years**

**Lodge's Sentence Is Not Enough**

**The Lodge Son is Evidence Enough**

**Lodge Embezzlement Case Shows Just How Far the One Percent Will Go**

**Mainstream Media and THEIR Exploitation of Vermont & Hermione Lodge**

**Lodge Case: Exploitation is All New CEOs Know How to Do**

**EXCLUSIVE: The Lodge Family is Three Peas in a Pod**

**Open Letter to Journalists: Let's Stop Ruining a Sixteen-Year-Old's Life**

He clicked on  **The Lodge Son is Evidence Enough**.

_Meet Quentin Lee, an incredibly intelligent and talented student. He speaks with an eloquence rarely found in sixteen-year-olds and has the gestures and quirks of a future popular politician. Yet, to actually meet him, you will have to be his family member, because Wallaby Psychiatric only allows family members to visit their patients._

_Now, why would such a great kid be in Wallaby Psychiatric, going through intense therapy and be on strong anti-depressants?_

_All the courtesy of Vermont Lodge, of course._

_"Vermont and his friends used to cyber bully and physically bully my son for rejecting their friendship. That child is arrogant, and unless he goes through some therapy himself, will continue to ruin lives just like my son's," Mrs. Sasha Lee said._

_Now, why would anyone be surprised that the father of Vermont Lodge, an arrogant and cruel bully, be a criminal?_

_I'm surprised we didn't see it coming._

Vermont blinked. He was infuriated. He stopped reading the rest. They were spreading so many lies about him, to make the judge extend his father's sentence. He had only slapped Quentin Lee back at his own school once and on a dare. Quentin had his own issues. Vermont barely even spoke to Quentin!

"What are you reading, baby?" Vermont's mother asked from behind him. He quickly locked the screen, watching it go black.

"Nothing, nothing," he insisted. "Just looking through Instagram," he stated.

Hermione smiled and sat next to Vermont. "Listen, Vermont, I need your help."

"Yes, ma?" he asked.

"Your father, he's been extremely well-behaved in jail," her mother began. Vermont raised his eyebrows. That was a sentence he'd never thought he'd hear. Wasn't he a child? Wasn't his father supposed to hear this?

 _Vermont's been extremely well-behaved in school,_ not  _your father has been behaving well in jail._ Vermont wanted to laugh, but he controlled his derision.

"So?" Vermont said, a little too sharp.

"Well, I need you to testify for your father and explain how great of a dad he is. The lawyer says he just needs to be humanized more, to the jury. And only the two of us can do that," she explained.

Vermont turned to fully face his mother. "Do you really want to do it?" he asked.

Hermione said, "Of course, sweetie. Don't you want dad back home? And our family can be whole again."

"Our family is whole without him too," Vermont said defiantly.

"But it'll be better if he's around, don't you think? You miss him, don't you?"

He saw right through her facade. "Did he threaten you?"

Hermione stroked Vermont's hair. "Sweetie, I want him back home, and if you were a good son, you would too. I know you're a good son, darling. Just say you'll do it, please?"

Vermont sighed. "I'll think about it."

Hermione smiled. "You already know the right decision, sweetie. I know you do. You're a good son." She kissed his forehead. "We couldn't have asked for better."

Vermont looked through the rest of the articles. He was a demon to the outside world. He wanted to change. He wanted so hard to change. Then, wouldn't doing something good for his father be the first step towards being a better person? The worst part was that Vermont really didn't know.

~


	10. The Ghost in the Attic

_“Five…four…three…two…one! Ready or not, here I come!” Ben shouted, taking his hands off of his eyes._

_Now, where could Parker be hiding?_

_Ben looked under their beds. No Parker. He looked under all the tables, in every nook and cranny of the rooms. He then went into the backyard, searching every bush and tree. No Parker! Ben started to get worried. Where was he?_

_Ben went to his father, who was cooking lunch with his mother in the kitchen. He tugged on his apron, and Hal Cooper took a break from chopping vegetables. “Daddy, daddy, where’s Parker?”_

_Hal bent down, smiling mischievously at his younger son. “I don’t know, Benny, where’s he?”_

_Ben frowned, distressed. “I searched the whole house! I don’t want to lose this round, Daddy,” Ben whined. His dad tried to suppress a laugh. Ah, the small worries of being young. Taking pity on his little kid, he stage-whispered, “A little birdie told me there’s a ghost in our attic, Benny,” he informed. “Do you want to go check it out?”_

Ben sat up straight, abruptly ending the movie of his childhood in his head. The attic. Parker loved to hide there all the time. And what safer place could Parker find than his own home?

Ben took his flashlight, and hesitantly climbed the steep steps up to the attic. It was full of childhood toys, suffering the rot of age. It really looked there could be a ghost hiding somewhere in this attic. A floorboard creaked, and Ben winced. Hopefully he didn’t wake his parents up. _Come on, come on, Parker, I found you, finally._

Suddenly, a hand clamped over his mouth, and a voice hissed, “Shush, shush, Ben.”

“I knew you’d find me, Ben,” Parker smiled, taking his hand off of Ben’s mouth and pulling him into a hug.

~

Ariel woke Juliet in the middle of the night. “What?” Juliet asked, groggy.

“I can’t sleep,” Ariel explained.

This had happened many times. And Juliet knew she should be worried, because her best friend couldn’t sleep, but she was really sleepy right now.

“Then try harder,” Juliet said rudely, turning to face the other side.

“You mind if I play the guitar?” Ariel whispered.

“No, I don’t. Just get some sleep, Ari,” Juliet said, before trying to drift back to sleep.

She took out her guitar and fastened a capo onto the fretboard. She then strummed her guitar gently, a soft tune that fit a lullaby well. Juliet was wide awake. Ariel started singing in a low, melancholic voice.

_You told me that you’d always protect me_

_You’d be my knight in shining armour_

_You convinced me that I’m a damsel in distress_

_Stuck in a tower, all alone_

_All traces of hope gone_

_But the truth you never said is that_

_I’m not a damsel in distress_

_I don’t need a knight, I’m a dragon_

_I’m not a damsel in distress_

_The only tower I’m in, is the one you made_

_It’s made of lies and deceit, yet_

_It’s my fault, I’m the fool_

_But now I’m brand new_

_I’m not a damsel in distress_

_Not a damsel in distress_

Juliet turned around, staring at Ariel’s silhouette. “You tried sleeping pills, Ari?” Juliet asked.

Ariel stopped mid-strum. “It’s not that bad, I can usually catch a couple hours,” she explained.

“Oh, okay,” Juliet said. Then there was a silence. Before Ariel could resume playing the guitar, Juliet interrupted. “It’s a really nice song. You’re really talented,” Juliet complimented.

“Thanks, Jules,” Ariel laughed.

“Sing me another one,” Juliet insisted. Ariel blushed. She’d never had someone interested in her music that much before.

Ariel took out the capo, and then tuned her guitar. She then started strumming again.

_We’re not who we used to be_

_We’re not who we used to be_

_We’re just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me_

_We’re not who we used to be_

_We don’t feel how we used to feel_

_We’re just two ghosts swimming in a glass half-empty_

_Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat_

“That’s by a curly British guy, right?” Juliet joked. Ariel laughed. “It was nice,” Juliet said. “You know what would be nicer though,” Juliet said, her sarcasm creeping back. “If I got some sleep,” she said, ending the conversation there. Ariel smiled, and then, making sure Juliet was asleep, she said, “I’m so sorry, Jules. For everything.”

Juliet wondered what everything was.

~

Vermont had a text from Ben.

**Can you meet @ Pop’s? Need a favor.**

Vermont quickly got dressed and drove to Pop’s, eager to meet his friend, and also quite curious about his favor. He went in, and saw Ben sitting in their booth, with a figure in a hoodie.

“Hey,” Vermont slid next to Ben, grinning. What could he say? He was glad to meet his friend (best friend?).

“Thanks for coming, man,” Ben grinned back.

“Who’s this?” Vermont asked about the hooded figure, who was keeping their head down.

“It’s Parker, my brother,” Ben stated.

“What?” Vermont asked incredulously. “You, my friend,” Vermont said jokingly to Parker, “Have caused a lot of trouble for my friend over here.”

Parker looked up, smiling a little.

“How can I help?” Vermont asked genuinely.

“My brother doesn’t want to come back home yet, because he thinks he’ll just get sent back to that wretched home,” Ben explained.

Vermont nodded, examining Parker. He looked like a wearier and older version of Ben. It was scary to see what could happen, if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, which was what exactly seemed to have happened to Parker.

“Is it alright if Parker lives at the Pembrooke for a while? Not for long, just for a couple of days. I’m going to tell my parents soon, about Parker,” Ben reassured.

Vermont nodded, contemplating the decision. “I really have to ask my mom,” Vermont said. “Maybe you guys can come over for dinner? At the Pembrooke tonight? Then ask my mom? It’ll be better,” he said.

Parker nodded, and smiled. Ben felt warm. He’d forgotten was Parker’s actual smile looked like. This was it. “Thank you,” Parker said.

Vermont grinned, before ordering a salad.

~

It had been two weeks since a new employee had joined the team at Andrews’ Construction. And there had been an incident at the old plot of the Drive-In.

“Oh, Ariel. It’s terrible. Whoever it was completely ravaged my equipment. Someone clearly does not want me to build this goddamn complex.”

“Oh no. When will you be able to resume the work?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to figure it out. I wonder who the hell would sabotage me like that…” Fred wondered.

Ariel snorted. “I think it’s pretty obvious. It’s obviously some rogue Serpent, right? I mean, come on. The Drive-In was a Serpent breeding ground, and now they’re salty that they have to be somewhere else all the time.”

Fred didn’t reply to Ariel, and instead glanced at Juliet, who was silent as well, concentrating on her food. Ariel glanced at Juliet, and then minced her words. “I mean, obviously not you, Jules, because you had a job at the Drive-In, and you had no other choice. You’re obviously not a Serpent. But it was still packed with those pests all the time, Dad,” Ariel spat.

Fred shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said, almost helplessly. Ariel didn’t like seeing her father like this. She wanted to do something, she just didn’t know what.

Juliet meanwhile, felt really uncomfortable at the table. Secrets could do that to you.

~

Ben was feeling extremely guilty, even though Mrs. Lodge had told him not to be guilty. But it had been a little over a week since Parker had moved to the Pembrooke and his parents were here, organizing a search in the forest next to Sweetwater River, no clue that Parker was living in the opposite of nature. Apparently somebody had tipped them off that they’d seen the remains of someone living near there, and his parents wanted to find Parker.

“Ben, you need to invite all your friends to this, we need to make sure people are there. And if the Lodges come, media will come too. Parker will know how desperate we are for him to come back home, if it gets media coverage.”

“It’s a search mom, not a reality show,” Ben said softly.

Hal glared at his son. “Well, do you have any good ideas of how to reach out to Parker, then?” he asked, irritated.

 _Maybe you should look somewhere closer to home._ “No, sorry, Dad,” Ben mumbled.

Hal rolled his eyes. 

“Anyways, as I was saying,” Alice continued. “I was thinking of inviting the Blossoms. I mean, keep a united front, right. People are talking about how it was the parents’ fault that all this went down. It’s getting bad,” Alice explained.

It was Ben’s mother’s turn to get glared at by Hal. “Do whatever you want. I’m not talking to Clifford or Penelope. You do the communication.”

Alice’s lips pursed into a thin, hard line. “Fine,” she finally gave in.

Ben gulped his orange juice, hoping his guilt would dissolve with the tangy taste.

~

At school, the four of them sat at the stands with Ben. He was filling them in about the search.

“Sure, we’ll all definitely go, Ben,” Ariel said reassuringly.

“Wait, what?” Vermont asked. “You haven’t told them yet?” he asked.

Kat’s eyes turned to slits. “Tell them what?” she asked, curious.

“I found Parker, and Vermont’s mom agreed to help me and give him a room at their place,” Ben explained. Ariel’s jaw dropped.

“So, this search is completely useless?” Ariel asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Ben said, a little ashamed.

Juliet sighed. “Whatever. It’s Ben’s business, let’s not pry. I’ll be there, when is it?” she said, taking another bite of her pita wrap.

“This Friday evening,” Ben elaborated.

“Sure, I’m free,” Juliet stated.

“Is it really a good idea to have a search in a forest after dark?” Kat asked.

“Your dad said some security will be there, he’s assigning some police to the search,” Ben informed.

Ben’s friends nodded. Ben suddenly remembered that he hadn’t spoken to Kat in a while. “Yo, Kat, what happened to you and Michelle?”

“Michelle loves Martin, so I’m all alone for now,” Kat said, faux-wistfully.

“Michelle loves Martin or she loves her reputation?” Juliet scoffed.

“I think Michelle just got super freaked out by Chester’s words at the dance,” Ariel shrugged.

“Well, what’s new? Chester’s always been a dick,” Ben laughed derisively.

“That I have been, Benny, you asinine toe-rag,” Chester said out of nowhere, walking towards them.

“It’s like you’re a ghost, Chesty,” Ariel joked. “Spooking us out of nowhere,” Juliet completed the metaphor, nodding.

Chester’s smile faded a little, and Vermont winced, remembering his words at their sleepover. However, his cocky smile snuggled right back into place, his exterior refusing to crack.

_I feel like a ghost standing in my place, almost. Or even worse than a ghost. Like an apparition, that people just walk through._

“Your dear mother called mine this morning, telling her about a search for Parker,” Chester said.

Ben looked at Chester listlessly. He couldn’t care less that Chester was going to be at the search. Chester rolled his eyes. “Oh, Benny. Consider this to be my desperate request to be part of your little Scooby gang.”

Ben didn’t reply, but his expression did. _No chance,_ his face said.

Chester’s smile completely faded. “Come on, Ben. I mean, I can help. Or maybe you could help me. Given your attraction to keeping secrets, you might as well know where Parker is,” Chester joked.

Ben’s expression shifted, a little. Of shock. How did he guess?

Chester’s jaw dropped, impressing himself at his wild jackpot guess. “Oh my God, you really know where he is!”

“What?” Ben said, his voice higher, a clear façade. “No, I don’t!”

Chester laughed, incredulous. “You’re such a bad liar,” he shook his head, one side of his lip curling upwards menacingly.

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know where Parker is, sorry.”

Chester rolled his eyes. _“I don’t where Parker is, sorry,”_ Chester mocked. “Just tell me where he is, I have just as much as a right to know as you do.”

Ben stood up, in a threatening, alpha-male like posture. “Sorry, but did we collectively decide to forget that part where you accused my brother of murder in front of me?” He heard Juliet scoff behind him.

“You have zero right, Chesty,” Ariel snapped at him, backing Ben up. Kat grinned at this drama in front of her. Riverdale could be such a saucy town. Vermont, meanwhile, looked at the blank screen of his phone. He was conflicted. Why couldn’t Chester and Ben just get along? They’d both suffered because of Janessa’s death. Why did they have to be like this?

Chester rolled his eyes. “Only losers hold on to grudges, Benny,” Chester insulted Ben, patronizing him. He turned to leave, when suddenly he remembered something.

“Hey, V?” he asked. Vermont looked up, replying, “Yeah?” Kat jerked up. Only they could call Vermont V! She pouted internally. Since when were Vermont and Chester close?

“Can we make plans sometime? Maybe I could come over to your house? I need some help with that history assignment due next week.”

Vermont nodded, smiling. “Yeah, yeah, sure, my house,” Vermont said absentmindedly.

Ben, horrified, punched Vermont in the arm. “What the hell?” he mouthed.

Vermont’s mouth formed an o. He’d completely forgot. Chester, meanwhile, connected the dots.

“Oh my God!” Chester laughed, snarky. “Parker’s living with Vermont? Parker’s at the Pembrooke?”

Ben glared at him, with an expression that only confirmed his suspicions. “Wow! You really do like to have secrets, don’t you, Benny?” he said condescendingly.

Ben’s face settled into a groove of anger. “Screw off, Chester,” he spat.

“I think not, little Benny,” Chester wagged a finger at him. “You see, now there’s two of us who know where Parker is,” he began. “So…” he emphasized. “That means, that there’s two of us who know that this Friday’s search is a complete waste. I don’t know, it just seems like it’s a race to who tells your parents first. Knowledge is a powerful thing, you know,” Chester smiled. He was lying. Knowledge wasn’t a powerful thing. (Okay, maybe.) _Leverage_ was more powerful.

Ben looked at the grass, a bitter taste of defeat. “What the hell do you want?” he asked.

“I just want to meet him. Anywhere, anytime. I’ll make time. Just tell me when and where,” Chester requested.

Ben rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Fine. But I swear, if you tell my parents, I will kill you,” Ben.

Chester rolled his eyes. “The trust you have in me is disappointing, sweet pompous goblin!” he childishly whined. And with that, he left.

Kat immediately attacked Vermont. “Why the hell are you even friends with him?” she asked, a little angry. Ariel backed Kat up. “Yeah, you know how mean he is to Ben, right? I mean, he just called him a goblin!”

Juliet was silent. She, frankly, didn’t care who Vermont Lodge was friends with. She didn’t really consider Vermont Lodge to be her friend, actually. So she just kept eating her food, and she really had to admit, it was delicious. And she hated to admit it, but “sweet pompous goblin” had a nice ring to it.

“The Chester he shows you is not the one he really is,” Vermont said. Kat rolled her eyes, something Vermont thankfully couldn’t see. He turned around, asking Ben, “Are you pissed off that I’m friends with him?”

Ben thought about it for a moment, and he saw Vermont and Chester in the toilet before the first game of the season. Maybe Chester was actually a different person, but he actually didn’t care. “No, I’m not. I don’t own you. Your friends, your choice,” he said, with no coldness or warmth. It was almost a little bit apathetic, and it made Ariel and Juliet share a glance. Ben was not like this.

Kat sulked. “Well, I’m pissed. He’s not a nice guy.”

“He’s nicer than you think,” Vermont said.

Ariel fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Whatever. He hurts and uses people, so just be careful,” Ben warned.

Vermont sighed. “Trust me, I’ll know when someone is using me.” The statement piqued Ben’s interest, and he made sure to ask his friend about it when tensions were less strained.

~

Ben and Chester made their way to the Pembrooke, an icy silence over them, despite the warm atmosphere of the Pembrooke. Vermont opened the door for them. Hermione was out, driving to New York to visit their father in jail. Vermont had decided not to go. He’d also, bravely, told his mother he wasn’t going to testify positively for his father. He was done being the good son. It was time to be a good person.

Parker was nervous. Chester Blossom could be a tricky person to deal with, definitely.

He sat down on the couch, eager to meet his brother again. Chester and Ben entered the room, and Ben rushed in for a quick hug. It was good to see his brother again. Chester was uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden.

“Hi, Parker,” he said, not really saying much.

“Chester,” Parker acknowledged.

Ben joked, “How you going to move back home after living in Pembrooke for so long, bro?” Parker laughed, and admitted, “It’ll be a difficult adjustment, obviously.”

Chester nodded, suddenly regretting his decision. What did he want to ask anyway? What did he want?

He wanted to know what he knew about Janessa’s plans. But how in the world was he supposed to ask that?

Parker and Ben chatted for a while, while Chester looked around the room awkwardly, sharing glances with Vermont.

Parker finally turned to Chester. “Well, why did you want to meet me?”

Chester gulped, nervous. “Where were you and Janie going?” he asked softly.

Parker sighed. “She had a whole plan going,” he started to explain.

“We were supposed to meet at this part of Greendale that’s close to Riverdale, near the maple tree forest, at the other end, and she took the boat to set up her disappearance,” he kept going. “She had a car at that spot, apparently, with some of her things. I don’t know if it’s still there.” Ben raised his eyebrows, sharing a glance with Vermont.

“Why did you run away?” Chester asked.

“She didn’t want to build a future in this town. She saw something that broke her completely. I don’t know what, she refused to talk about it. But she didn’t want to build a family and a life in Riverdale,” he explained. “That’s why she insisted…” he trailed off.

Vermont, who had his arms folded, snapped. “She insisted what, Parker?”

“That’s why she insisted we get married.”

~


	11. A Risky Invitation

“I can’t believe they had the audacity to come back,” Ariel hissed.

“What do you mean?” Kat asked.

“They wrecked my dad’s place some more,” Ariel sighed. Juliet stayed silent.

“The Serpents?”

“Yeah. I’m so pissed off.”

“Then you should just go to their hangout, ask them what they hell are they thinking,” Kat shrugged.

Juliet looked up from her book. “No way in hell are you going to the Whyte Wrm,” Juliet ordered.

“Why not? What’re they going to do?”

Juliet insisted that she stay out of the Serpent area. “I worked at the Drive-In, Ari, I know how bad it can get,” Juliet said. Kat shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sure as long as we keep to ourselves and don’t bother anyone no one will say anything,” she reassured Ariel.

“I’m going,” Ariel declared, and looked at Kat and Juliet expectantly. Her friends would join her, right?

Kat grinned. “Let’s go on an adventure,” she exclaimed.

Juliet looked at her book. Kat and Ariel looked at her. Ariel’s giddy grin faded off. “What the hell, Jules. I thought I could trust you,” she snapped, leaving Juliet alone in the booth. Kat left with Ariel, presumably going with Ariel to the Whyte Wrm.

Juliet thought she could feel the dread sitting next to her, mocking her. Secrets could do that to you.

~

Chester’s jaw dropped open. “You guys got married?” Ben stared at Parker, almost aghast. “What the hell?” he snapped. Parker looked at his little brother, surprised at his reaction.

“You just listened to Janessa?” Ben asked, a little irritated. Mixing a wedding ring into this conglomerate of already messed up would give Ben a headache.

“We were running away…I thought why not?”

Vermont, who was silent until now, asked a question. “Do you regret it?” Parker looked at Vermont, thinking. “I don’t…I don’t think so.”

Chester put on a soft smile on his face, something that made him look younger. “So you’re a Blossom now,” he began. Parker chuckled. “We wanted to change our names to Blossom Cooper,” Parker admitted.

Vermont looked at Ben, who seemed to be hiding his rage. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Ben seethed.

“Ben, I’m sorry, in between all of this…I really just forgot.” Ben gave Parker the cold shoulder.

Suddenly, a brilliant plan formed in Chester’s shrewd mind. “You know, Parker, since you’re family now…and Ben’s being an infectious fly-bitten Dewberry, you’re welcome to live at the Thornhill,” he suggested.

“Why, you sick son-” Ben began, his rage completely unhindered. Parker, however, interrupted, with a curt, “Sure.”

Vermont raised his eyebrows, his lips forming a small o. He looked from the angry, red-faced Ben to the sly smirk on Chester’s face.

“You know what, we can decide this later, after the search,” Vermont cleared his throat. “Why don’t the two of us walk you out, Chester?” Vermont said, effectively killing the dangerous conversation.

Chester nodded, taking his things and moving out. Vermont pulled Ben along with him. “I don’t want to talk to him,” Ben hissed at Vermont.

“Well, you obviously have to. Be more mature Ben, come on,” Vermont scolded his friend, exasperated.

Ben glared at his friend.

Outside, Chester began the conversation. “Thanks, Vermont. For all this,” Chester grinned, looking truly happy.

“You finished your agenda, Chester?” Ben hissed.

“What are you even talking about, you grizzly crust-bomb?” Chester said nonchalantly.

“You just tried to steal my brother in there,” Ben stated coldly.

“He’s my family now,” Chester said, smiling wistfully. “Shouldn’t I extend the compassion?”

“Compassion,” Ben scoffed. “It’s daylight robbery, and you know it.”

Chester suddenly broke his cheerful disposition and sneered. “You were being so condescending about your brother marrying my sister. I wasn’t going to just stand and take that, you Huskie toot binkie.”

“I don’t know what propaganda your parents are brainwashing you with, but my sister is _not_ the reason your brother’s life got screwed over. And I’m not going to allow you to demonize my sister to her husband,” Chester said menacingly.

Ben rolled his eyes at “husband”. “They were barely married. There is no holy union that you seem to keep preaching,” Ben stated.

“They loved each other enough to want to spend their entire lives together! Your brother loved her so much that he was ready to sacrifice his family for her! That _is_ love, Ben. My sister did not ruin your brother, and I’m not going to allow you to spread that narrative,” Chester continued.

Ben laughed. “Sure, sure. That _is_ love. Your sister loved my brother so much that she stole him away from the family he loved,” he paused. “She loved him _so much_ that she made him _abandon_ his little brother, the brother that needed him,” he said, tearing up a little. Chester rolled his eyes.

“Get off of your high ground of tragedy, Benedict Cooper,” Chester snapped. “You want to talk about _abandonment?_ Sure, let’s talk about abandonment. I _lost_ my sister forever, alright? You got your brother back, safe and sound. I lost my only friend. You got everything back, like always. You get everything, like always. And I’m left with nothing. Not _only_ did you get your brother back, you got to _own_ him and erase Janessa through him, feeding lies that she was a mistake. You got everything that was stolen from you and then some more. It’s not fair, but did you hear me complain? _No!_ And I ask for a little opportunity to get to know him, because he’s my family, and you can’t even let me have that. I’m not stealing your brother, for God’s sake. I’m just asking for a chance to know the last person my sister loved before she died! But little Benny can’t let anyone have what they want, right?” Chester seethed.

A stray tear escaped from Chester’s eye, something he erratically wiped off like it was acid. Ben stared at Chester, his eyes soft, yet jaw clenched. Chester gulped, and then turned around, and walked to his car, and then slammed the door shut. Yet he didn’t drive off.

Ben stared at Chester’s figure in his car, fully crying by now. Vermont was frozen. This was not how he imagined it would be. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Go to Ben? Or comfort Chester? So he just stood in his place, his arms folded, looking at Ben, and then at a crying Chester in his car. Ben eventually made his way back to the room in the Pembrooke, and Chester wiped his tears frantically and drove off.

~

Kat and Ariel got out of the car, faced with the door of the Whyte Wrm. They were both clad in black clothing, hoping they would blend in with the rest.

Kat had completely shed her chill façade by now. She was freaking out. “Ariel, I really think this was a mistake,” she whispered, her nerves getting even more tangled up, seeing a snake slither around in a glass box with an open cover. A gang pet? “We’re going to die,” she whispered.

“Stop freaking out. Pretend you belong,” Ariel instructed softly.

That just made Kat freak out even more. “What are we even doing here?”

“I took a picture of the goon. I’m going to ask around.” Kat thought she was going to faint. Talk about regret.

Even after asking around, Ariel didn’t get a Serpent match. Suddenly, a woman with more piercings than skin tapped on Kat’s shoulder. The two of them turned around, facing the short and muscular woman.

“Y-yes?” Kat asked, trying to put up a brave exterior.

“Do I know you?” she asked.

“Um…” Kat was at an uncharacteristic loss for words.

Ariel stepped in front. “We used to hang out at the Drive-In. After it closed, no one told us about this place,” she stated, hoping it would make for a believable story.

“We told everyone about this place,” the woman said, knitting her eyebrows. _Shit._ Ariel did not realize how dangerous this was until that moment.

“What are you suggesting, missy?” Ariel hissed.

“You sure you supposed to be here…” the lady began, fumbling for a name. “What did you say your name was, carrot-top?”

A dark-skinned girl in the crowd, noticing the commotion, hurried upstairs to tell someone who could stop it. Why the hell were they here?

“Hey, you need to go downstairs. They’re here, Ariel and Kat. And Adri noticed,” she explained.

The man, a little tipsy, fumbled to get up. “Oh shit,” he muttered. He made his way down, but before he could, he had to make a call. Meanwhile, downstairs, Ariel’s head was circling with believable names. _Was Daphne too Northside?_

“Sandra,” Ariel supplied. “And this is Ingrid,” she said, pointing to Kat. “Ingrid” smiled.

A guy from within the crowd called out. “I don’t know any Ingrid or Sandra, Adri!”

The woman, with her hands on her hips, sneered. “Yule doesn’t know any Ingrid or Sandra, and he knows everyone,” she paused, maybe for dramatic effect, “Ingrid” couldn’t tell. “So I’m going to ask you again, and there’s not going to be a time after that,” she paused again. “You sure you’re supposed to be here?” “Sandra” gulped subtly, glaring at Adri.

“Hey, hey,” an authoritative voice called from the top of the stairs.

“Who you picking fights with today, Adri?” the man grinned.

“Oh come on, some Northside rats made their way into this place,” she whined.

He laughed. It was a mellow sound, yet the entire bar was quiet as if the guy was a leader. “Look at them. They’re just light-headed, curious kids. Give them a break, and go back to smoking your joint, or whatever it is that you were doing, Adri. I’ll handle this,” the man said, making his way down the stairs, his face finally coming into the light.

Ariel suppressed a gasp. _It couldn’t be!_

But, oh, it was.

Kat stared at the face of Juliet’s father coming down the stairs, wearing a Serpent leather jacket the sleeves rolled up, the signature tattoo free to be seen. Behind him, the dark-skinned girl followed. Kat and her locked eyes, and the girl’s frantic eyes seemed to ask Kat, “What the hell are you doing here?”

FP made his way to the two rogue adventurers. “Ingrid, huh?” he asked Kat, who just stared at him. “Sandra and Ingrid, let’s go for a short walk to the outside of this bar,” he said. FP, who normally exuded a rough and tired, drunk exterior, seemed to be in his element. Despite the faint smell of booze on his breath, he was entirely in control, and not just of himself. He seemed to be in control of the whole Whyte Wrm. Ariel was shocked at how much he blended with the rest of the place. It was almost like she should have seen it coming. Outside the Wrm, FP glared at them. “Do you want to explain yourselves? That was terribly irresponsible,” he scolded. Ariel didn’t say anything, just frowned and rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jones, we just wanted to know if a Serpent caused the wreckage at the construction.” Kat began, surprised Ariel wasn’t saying anything.

FP’s expression changed as if that was news to him. It shouldn’t have been. He worked there. _Right?_

“I can’t believe you would betray my father’s trust like this,” Ariel hissed, responding after a long time.

FP sighed. “You really think I broke his trust, Ariel?” She cocked her head to one side, raising her eyebrow. He pursed his lips. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” he asked, looking behind both of them.

Fred got out of his car and leaned outside the car. “What the hell, Ariel?” he asked.

Ariel turned to face her dad, and then glanced at FP, who explained, “The moment Josephine here told me you two were here, I called him.”

FP called out to Fred. “You might want to keep a closer eye on this one, Fred, she’s becoming more like me,” he winked, before going back inside. Fred watched FP go inside, sighing.

Josephine and Kat shared a glance. “What, do you know her?” Ariel asked.

Kat looked at Ariel apologetically. “We’ve hooked up a couple of times,” she said softly. Ariel shook her head, walking away from the duo. Trust was a luxury, it seemed. She got inside the car and drove with her dad back home in silence. Kat, meanwhile, stayed back at the Northside, talking to Josephine. Ariel watched them talk as her father drove off. He couldn’t imagine being so comfortable with a _gang member._

~

When Fred got back home, he saw Ben and Juliet on the porch. Fred unlocked the door, and everyone gathered at the kitchen island.

“I can’t believe you actually went to that bar,” Ben scolded.

Ariel didn’t reply.

Juliet stared at Ariel, who stared right back. “What, you don’t have anything to say?”

Juliet looked at Ariel sadly. “Oh my God, you _knew!_ You knew your dad was a gang member. Hell, not just a member, but the _leader._ ”

Ben looked at Juliet, shocked. But Juliet just looked tired and sad. “I don’t know how to justify my secret, Ariel,” she said softly. “If you want me to leave, just say it.”

“Even if you left, the place you’d leave to is my room, isn’t it?”

Ben glared at Ariel. Fred snapped at Ariel. “I told Juliet to stay quiet about it. Mind your words, Ariel,” he hissed. Ariel looked at her father, raising her eyebrows. “Oh yeah?” she challenged.

“So did FP ask you to stay quiet about the fact that he doesn’t show up to work anymore?”

Juliet’s face transitioned to one of sadness to one of shock. “What?”

Fred looked at Juliet, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. “Juliet, I didn’t want you to lose that hope you got,” he finally managed to say.

Ben looked at Juliet, who was by now staring at the ground. “Mr. Andrews,” she said softly. “I just want to thank you for giving me a place to stay all this while. I’ll be gone by tonight, of course. It’s time for me to go home,” she completed.

“Jules, no, wait,” Ariel said, her hard expression finally melting. But Juliet had already made her way up to their room, and the other three below could hear her moving around, putting her things in her bag. Ben watched as she came down, and then left, without a word to say to anyone.

Ben followed her out, hoping he could talk some sense into her.

Fred, in the kitchen, snapped, “Did you finally get what you wanted?”

Ariel stared at her shaking palms, crying.

~


	12. Full Dark, No Stars

"Julie, wait," Ben called out, stumbling out of the Andrews' porch. Juliet walked fast with her backpack, her beanie snug on her head.

"Juliet, please," he yelled at her fading figure. She finally stopped and turned around.

"Juliet, please, think it through. You don't have to sacrifice this for your father," he said.

She walked towards him. "He's my  _father._ Obviously, I have to," she said. Her expression was completely world-weary, not betraying any emotion she felt. She just looked tired, as if she had been hiking around the world for the past few years with no break.

"Are you sure you want to?" he asked, holding her arms so that she couldn't ignore him. She looked up at him and smiled sadly. "I have to," she said, not really answering his question.

"Julie..." he trailed off. He noticed how her eyes were glistening a little, and how the profound sadness didn't belong on her face.

"Ben, please, just let it go. I'm sorry to say this but you wouldn't understand," she said, hoping this was hostile enough to drive him away.

"Then help me understand. I want to understand you, Julie," he said. It sounded like a confession to her. She felt a blossoming of surprised mixed with happiness when she heard his words, but she buried it. She had had enough of hope.

"Why?" she asked, staring up at him.

"Because..." Ben said. He then paused, not knowing if it was true. "Because...I think I really like you, Julie," he said, smiling a little.

She looked at him with the beginnings of a frown. "Ben, don't..." Juliet started.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because I'm a bad luck charm, Ben. Don't do this to yourself," she pleaded.

 _What?!_ Ben thought. "There is no universe in which you are a bad luck charm, Juliet Jones. You have given me so much support and happiness since I've known you," he said.

Juliet felt her inner person shaking her head sadly.  _Look at you,_ she seemed to sneer.  _Two train wrecks in one night._

Ben stopped, and they just spent an eternity staring at each other, Ben's hands clasping Juliet's arms, so that she couldn't turn away from him. "I really like you," he whispered. And then he leaned into touch her lips with his own, his nerves tingling with anxiety.

She melted into him, her sadness baring itself in the form of the stray tears rolling down her cheek. Ben held her face in his hands, letting go of her arms, which remained frozen in their place. She pulled away, disappointing Ben.

"Ben, I don't..." she started.

"No, we don't have to figure anything out right now, Julie," he said, almost pleading.

"I really like you too, Ben," she sighed.

"That's all we need," Ben grinned.

He turned her around, putting a hand on her shoulder, pulling her close. "Let's go home," he whispered.

~

Hermione got out of her car and handed the keys to her trusted butler. She then went up, nervous to meet her own son.

Once she went in, she sat her son down and started talking to him about her visit.

"Jail looked terrible, and I barely saw any of it," she started off. "And your father is trying very hard to survive in there, he's feeling extremely guilty about what he did, sweetie. He's very hopeful that you'll change your mind because he knows he's changed. He's counting on his closest family to help him out. I know I'm going to testify, but I told him that you need a bit more time to decide finally, even though you said that originally you didn't want to."

Then she pulled something out of her bag, a small box, and an envelope. "Your father sent you this because he loves you."

She left the box on the table with the envelope, before going to her room. Vermont stared at the box for a while, wondering what lay beneath the calm exterior of it. A propeller of chaos?

 _Oh, stop being so damn dramatic, Vermin,_ Vermont scolded himself. He snatched the box from the table and hurriedly opened it. Inside it was a signature watch, from a German watchmaker that was his father's favorite. Along with it was a small note.

_Here's the time you said you needed._

Vermont's heart softened. Maybe his mother was right. It truly was a beautiful watch, and it felt like it was made for his wrist. With a small smile, he opened up the envelope.

_To my lovely son,_

_Vermont, the last time I spoke to you, I was in handcuffs. Even though those cuffs are off of my wrists, here in jail it feels like I am forever bound to the mistakes I am so desperately trying to overcome and move beyond._

_As you know, I am determined to ensure that my innocence and goodness is proven to the jury. I need your help for that because only you know how good of a family member I am. Your mother has proven her loyalty to me by agreeing to do it. However, being younger, I understand that you think that you've been hurt more by my actions. I understand that you need time._

_However, I also hope you understand that I am running out of time, and this is all borrowed time that I am lending you. I will do anything to gain your support, anything. I hope you make the decision that will help your family the most, and I hope you are aware of the repercussions of a misstep._

_With much love,_

_Hiram R. Lodge_

Vermont had to read the letter three times in its entirety to really understand what his father was telling him.

_Get me out of jail, or else._

It was such a cleverly veiled threat, another person would have completely missed it. But he had been Hiram Lodge's son for a long time, and he was, sadly, not a stranger to vague threats. His father had the power to take everything away from Vermont. He sighed, clutching his head in his hands.

He was trying so hard to be a better person, and he barely felt that helping a criminal get out of jail would be a good deed. But the stakes changed when the person was your father, and they changed when the person was blackmailing you, and they changed once again when Vermont thought maybe his father really had changed. Maybe this was the last time that he would resort to this. Maybe he was just desperate.

And helping his father get out of a sticky situation. That would be a good deed.

Wouldn't it?

Before his train of thoughts could spiral more, his mother stepped out of her room, freshly showered. "It's a nice watch, isn't it?" she commented. "It was my idea to give you a gift. You deserve it," she said.

Vermont's disgust went up by a huge notch. "You helped my father emotionally manipulate me?" he asked, his voice coarse.

Hermione's head turned sharply to face Vermont. "You think  _this_ is emotional manipulation?"

He stared at her, as if to say,  _if not, then what is it?_ "It's just a gift, Vermont," she sighed. "Why would your own parents do that to you?"

Vermont rolled his eyes, picking up the letter. "This is a very clever threat. So well disguised, only a true Lodge could realize it for what it really is," he spat.

Hermione sat down in front of Vermont. "Don't say that. It's not a threat. Your father is suffering in jail, sweetie. And I'm suffering here in this town, alone. And you're suffering because you're alone. Testifying well means ending all of that."

Vermont hissed, "I am not suffering, mom. I have friends, and I thought I had you."

She looked away, tired of this repetitive conversation. "Just make a choice, Vermont."

"I don't have a choice!" Vermont snapped. "Didn't you read? There are  _repercussions,_ to any  _misstep_ I make," he read out.

"Of course you have a choice," Hermione reassured. "But your choice has consequences. He's just reminding you of your responsibility, sweetie," she said, patting his hair. He swatted her hand away and walked away roughly taking the cursed watch off of his wrist.

~

Ben walked around his room in a desperate attempt to figure out how to make sure Chester did not sabotage him and reveal Parker's whereabouts to his parents. He didn't trust Chester at all, and his distrust deepened when he remembered the dangerous offer to live at Thornhill. And while his outburst outside the Pembrooke looked like it had impacted Vermont, Ben had no sympathy for Chester. To Ben, the cruelty the world made you suffer is not an excuse to be cruel to others.

_You get everything, like always. And I'm left with nothing._

Ben tried to be angrier at Chester, to remember the cruel insults he had hurled in the last few years. And they were harsh words, Ben remembered, yet Ben had enough of a thick skin to not care about them. That was the true problem, perhaps, Ben pondered. Maybe it was not that he was starting to understand Chester, but maybe it was that he truly didn't care.

But above all of that, he did not want Chester to sabotage him. Ben did not trust him even a little. He decided that the only way he was going to make sure he did not end up exposed was to send him a peace offering. Ben had nothing to offer that Chester wanted, except for his brother, in which case Ben would just go and tell his parents himself.

 _Maybe Chester would like an apology_ , Ben thought. He got the redhead's number from Vermont and dialed it, listening to the dial tone and hoping desperately that he didn't pick up. Alas, nothing Ben ever wanted ever happened.

"Hello?" Chester's voice interrupted the dial tone.

"Hey, Chester, it's Ben," he started.

"Oh. Well. What do  _you_  want?"

"Listen," Ben tried to fake it. "I apologize for insulting you outside the Pembrooke earlier," he said.

Chester laughed. "Did I not mention that you are the worst liar I have ever known? Don't have to apologize, Coops. Especially not if you don't mean it." Ben didn't understand. Was Chester laughing in mirth or derision? Maybe some mysteries had no answers.

"Whatever, consider the hatchets buried," Chester said. Ben was having a sense of suspicion and wariness now. Blossoms were not forgiving. Forgiveness to them was a sin. Grudges were more valuable than gold. So what the hell was Chester doing?

Ben stayed silent. The redhead surprise cleared his throat. "Listen, I was going to call you anyway," he said.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Really. I had two things to tell you. We need to move Parker."

"Where? To Thornhill?" Ben snorted.

"No, you incomplete buffoon, to the goddamn forest where the search is taking place," he sighed.

Ben held his judgment, hoping Chester would elaborate. "Your parents are looking for him, so let's put him there."

Ben smiled at the simple idea, effective and uncomplicated. Plant the evidence they were looking for! Why had Ben not thought of this?

"You would do that for me, Chester?" Ben asked sarcastically. What was in it for Chester?

"I'm doing it for Vermont."  _Vermont?_

"Ben, did you not think about the consequences of putting Parker in Pembrooke? You put Hermione Lodge's credibility at even more risk. Her husband is a criminal and Parker Cooper is still an official missing person. Vermont too. That was a selfish thing to do," Chester condemned Ben.

Ben's jaw dropped open at Chester's rare intelligence. It truly had not occurred to him. "Fine. Vermont and I will take Parker to the forest before the search," Ben decided, informed the boy on the other side.

"Obviously I'm coming with you," Chester stated, matter-of-factly.

"As if I am going to let you come anywhere near my brother," Ben hissed, the words coming out more hostile than intended, but Ben gave no damns.

"You know, Benny, you compelling me to use blackmail is, frankly, getting a little tiring," Chester said wryly.

Ben groaned. "Fine! You can come! But no stealing my brother!" Ben whined immaturely.

"You know, he's not your property. He is also my brother-in-law," Chester reminded, sadness creeping into the edges of the words. Ben ignored that.

"You said there was a second thing?"

"Remember before Parker dropped that marriage bomb on us? About Janie's car? We need to go get that car and see what's inside," Chester said.

Ben nodded. "That's valid. I'll go check it out," Ben assured.

"Alright, I'm coming," Chester stated.

"I won't go check it out now, Blossom!" Ben exclaimed.

"Sweetie, you have to. Evidence beckons you, Nancy Drew," Chester laughed.

"I swear, Chester, I am not venturing into the woods where a girl died to look for a rickety car," Ben spat.

"That  _rickety_ car might have the key to your amateur investigation about that girl's death, who happens to be my sister," Chester emphasized. "And your sister-in-law," he added as an afterthought.

Ben contemplated. "You don't exactly have a choice, Benjamin," Chester scolded.

"My name's not Benjamin," Ben reminded him.

"So?" Chester mocked. "Will I meet you at Sweetwater River of Pop's?"

"Pop's. And Juliet will be there. She's going. We need a mediator in case we kill each other," Ben deadpanned.

"Is it just me or do you really want to fight to the death with me?" Chester said, a little flirtatiously.

"I'll see you at Pop's, Chester," Ben ignored.

"It'll be a date, Benjamin! With your budget Juliet Capulet wearing a torn old crown, of course," Chester mocked.

"Good _bye_ , Chester," Ben emphasized, before hanging up. Ben sighed. That was a confusing and tiring conversation, and now he had to figure out how to sneak out.


	13. Chasing Silhouettes

Juliet saw Chester Blossom walk in through Pop's fifteen minutes before closing time, just as she was packing up. She got up to leave just as Chester Blossom plopped down in front of her, smiling faux-sweetly. "We shall lie in wait for our dearest Benedict, oh sweet lard-sniffing zombie hunter," Chester cooed.

"Excuse me?" Juliet asked, confused.

"Ah! Here you are, Benjamin!" Chester grinned at Ben, who entered Pop's.

Juliet looked behind her, watching Ben walk into the diner. She smiled softly and waved shyly.  _Shy?_ Juliet thought, bewildered. Juliet was never really shy. Just asocial.

Ben's eyes laid on Juliet, and immediately they softened like taffy. He smiled, unable to hide his blush. He kept remembering that kiss, outside of Ariel's porch. He wished he could replay it, or relive it. But with Chester here, it took all his self-control to not beat Chester to a pulp. The accusation to Parker kept ringing in Ben's head over and over again. It happened right here, in Pop's. It made Ben angry, and then made his whole face redder than a tomato. Ben didn't know why, but he couldn't link the smug Chester in front of him to the half-apologetic and half-witty Chester on the phone.

"Hey, Ben," Juliet exhaled.

Ben bit his lower lip and smiled. "Julie," he said.

"Well, if you guys are done being Cory and Topanga, can we move on to the more In Cold Blood part of this story?" Chester asked sarcastically.

Juliet turned around and rolled her eyes at Chester, who grinned.

"So, Benjamin," Chester began.

"Julie, hey," Ben exhaled, his eyes positively  _twinkling,_ Chester noted with contempt. Look at Benjamin, getting his signature high-school romance even  _before_ him. Fate seemed to one-up Chester endlessly. Irritated, Chester interrupted the potential lovers' exchange between the two of them. In his defence, it was getting late.

"Listen, I'd love to sit here and play seven minutes in heaven with the both of you, but I really need to find out what the hell happened to my sister's car, you hear, Benjamin?"

Juliet stood up. "Hate to say it, Ben, but he's right. Can I come?"

Ben smiled. "Please do. I don't want to be the next murderer in this town," he joked.

Chester frowned. "Considering that my sister is dead, that hit a sore spot, Benny," he said. Ben did not apologize, which made Juliet knit her eyebrows.

Hell would freeze over before Ben gave into  _anything_ Chester said, even if he was right.

Ben was not called stubborn for no reason.

~

Ariel laid down in her bed, staring at the mattress on the floor under her. She had not had the guts to deflate the air mattress and put it back in the basement. The room felt empty without Juliet's laughter and incessant typing sounds. She tried to call Juliet, but Juliet hadn't picked up and had just replied with an auto-message.

Ariel looked at her walls, lined with posters of pop culture things that had momentarily caught her attention once upon a time. She tried to convince herself that she lived in a story where the heroes won and the villains lost, but perhaps things were not that black and white anymore.

She thought about it. It was very obvious that the Southside Serpents were the evil to her red-haired, innocent good, right? Right.

Except her father knew a Serpent and was best friends with a Serpent. And it seemed to Ariel that everyone knew about FP's Serpent status except for her, and the impression of him did not change in anyone's eyes.

But. Serpents were still bad, right? Good and evil were the last things to become grey and blurry. It hurt Ariel's head that the leader of the biggest worst things in Riverdale was led by someone who was close to her. Ariel had this shiny image of herself in her head, that no many how many mistakes she hovered on the edge of making, she always made the correct choice. She was her own moral compass. And for some reason, it was demagnetizing, pointing the wrong decision.

Was it really possible that the ones who dealt with drugs, a myriad of addictions and held other vices within themselves, were  _not_ the ones who were the "bad people" in Riverdale? And even though Ariel knew she should be more mature than that, it still confused her.

 _Or, maybe,_ Ariel thought,  _maybe_ it was her own innocence that tormented her. The innocence that led her to believe that good and evil were as clear as black and white, the innocence that enabled her to fall prey to Orlando Phil. She still heard his sweet voice sometimes, asking her to trust him, telling her that he'll always protect her when the reality she was blinded to was that she needed protection from him. She remembered Alice Cooper storming in with her father and Ben in tow, demanding that Mr. Grun-Phil leave at that moment. She remembered that flash of white-hot rage scamper across his eyes, foreign to her. A monstrous fiendish kind of creature that could only exist within a villain.

Ariel sighed raggedly, a stray tear running across her cheek. Her sudden introspection had led her deep into memory lane, back to the first night she had spent with...that monster. She felt sick to the pits of her stomach at the almost tangible memory of his touch. Her five senses were flooded with images, sounds and smells of things that reminded her of him. The walls of his bedroom, lined with images of him, and his friends. The sound of his laughter, a little shy but also a hint of being boisterous. A concoction of his scent, manly cologne and something his own. Addictive, almost.

The sensory overload made Ariel almost choke in her sick nostalgia for someone who was, at the end of the day, her predator. That's the word Juliet kept using, a twisted, mangled word. It reminded her of a fiendish beast, but associating that image with the softness of his eyes was a Herculean task. But she knew that her friends had been right all along. Yet, she could still hear his empty promises, she could still find contentment in his empty words.

All those promises of protection and love. Ariel had fed off of them, in turn giving him her devotion. He had gotten addicted to it, probably. She needed his protection, or at least that was what she had thought. But the truth was she needed protecting from him. The tragic epiphany ravaged her brain.

 _Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it,_ she hoped. But she found difficulty in shutting off her brain so easily. It was in overdrive, and all the thoughts and feelings she'd kept buried erupted in a ferocious eruption, and she was left behind, a bullet shell of herself.

~

Vermont stared at the building across the street. The ceiling-to-floor bay window exposed the other household's dining table to him. A father, a mother, and two sisters. He blinked at the image. They were eating, and they weren't talking, but it was clear that they were at peace. There were no furtive, secretive glances between the parents, and the sisters weren't stabbing each other's backs, as far as he could tell. It was a happy family. Sure, they weren't laughing or engaging in conversation, but they were together, and they were happy. Some people couldn't even get that. He glanced at the folded piece of paper in his trash. That word kept running around his head, untiring.

_Repercussions._

It was such a long, complicated word. And his father had turned it to a threat. He couldn't stop zooming into that one word.

_repurcussionsrepurcussionsrepurcussionsrepurcussions_

It became a chant, except it didn't calm him down, only riled him up more.

Vermont tried to think. He wanted to be a better person, and he knew that in any situation, a child helping his parent is a good person. But what if the child does it under duress? What if the parent threatens the child?

What if the parent is a conniving criminal? What then?

He tried to remember the times when his father was a good one. He couldn't think. His father had so much money, all the love that he received from his father was through gifts and material things. Since he was little, his father had conditioned him to recalibrate his expectations of love. Love was a gift, love was a box of chocolates, love was a custom-made German watch, love was all of these things. Love was things. To him, love needed to be proven through money, and yet again Hiram Lodge had tried to fool him into thinking he had a loving father through an object.

But beyond criminal, beyond manipulator, beyond ruthless businessman, Hiram Lodge was his father. And that should have been enough to sway Vermont to the other side, right?

Vermont wanted his moral compass to show him the way. However, unlike Ariel, Vermont had spent his entire life demagnetizing it, getting rid of it. He'd even had his father's help in damaging it. When you don't use a tool, hell, when you go out of your way to damage a tool, you lose the right and the ability to depend on it when you need it the most. In Vermont's mind, his moral compass was a wildly spinning sharp spear, a monster gone wild. It seemed to be mocking him,  _you? Do something good? Do something right? You do crack funny jokes, Lodge._

Vermont realized, that once you pass a certain boundary, once you become a kind of wicked no one is, you can't turn around. The supposed illusion Vermont had fed himself, of Riverdale being a second chance to turn over a new leaf, had run out. He was left behind with the truth, which was that people don't have the ability to change after they pass a point. The truth stung like antiseptic that had since lost its healing power. Or maybe he couldn't be healed. That sounded right. Vermont couldn't be healed. He might as well welcome his criminal dad home. He couldn't be relied on to do the right thing, after all. He couldn't even rely on himself.

So Vermont decided to be selfish, again. He liked the watch, and he liked how his father showed him love.

Being a good person was overrated anyway.

~

Juliet, Ben and Chester trudged around the forest, looking for Janessa's car. "I swear to God, Chester, if you led me here to die, I will come back to haunt you," Juliet hissed.

"That'll make two of you, wouldn't it?" Chester deadpanned. Juliet bit her lip in regret.  _Probably shouldn't have cracked that joke,_ she thought.

"The car," Ben murmured, pointing to a figure in the distance.

Chester started running towards it. Juliet and Ben followed. Upon reaching the automobile, Ben admired the red sleek car. Even when running away, Janessa Blossom wasn't going to lose her shine. Ben unlocked the front door, surprised the car was unlocked in the first place. Juliet searched the rest of the car, while Chester, unable to move, just stared at the car. It was this car they had travelled in, to Sweetwater River. When had she been able to drive it here?

"Janessa came here before she got shot," Chester stated, coming to the conclusion.

Juliet looked up. "How the hell do you know?" she asked.

"We drove to the river in this car. She must have come back after we staged the drowning to drive this to this place, to meet Parker. And then someone got her," Chester choked the last sentence out. He imagined some malicious thing, gun in hand, walking behind his unsuspecting sister. He hated the man already, and he didn't even have a face.

"Okay," Ben acknowledged. "Let's check the trunk," he moved to the back, where Chester was. Chester made way for Ben, who popped the trunk open.

"Oh my God..." Juliet gasped.

~

The man looked at the three children. A redhead, a blonde and...the man didn't care. He didn't care! He had to do this. He had to, he had to. He watched them leave, run to some other car, possibly to get the police. He heard the voice on the phone in his head.

_Burn everything except that, do you understand?_

And he had, he had understood well.

The pawn walked over to the car, making sure all parts of it were soaked with the gasoline. He soaked the leather seats with the gasoline too and took out the jacket. Janessa's favourite, the man had told him.  _Make sure you keep it._ He took the jacket and flicked the match onto the soaked car.

It was a matter of minutes. The ease of destruction held the pawn in awe until he realized the police would be here soon. Five minutes after the pawn fled the scene, Sherriff Keller arrived with the three children.

The flames were large, merciless. Sherriff knew that whatever he was supposed to be looking for was already ash. He sighed, thanking the kids, asking them to go back home. Another dead end. When will this mystery run out of dead ends?

~

Ben held his breath, looking at awe from the front at the crowd. It was large, to say the least. Was the whole town of Riverdale here? Did they really love Parker Cooper that much?

 _Or maybe they like the gossip more,_ Ben thought wryly. He held back a smirk. Ah, the fair town of Riverdale, right? The pop-up American Dream. Who would have thought they would be gossip addicts?

Hal took the mic and tapped it, garnering everyone's attention. "I would like to thank all of you for coming here after work, or after school, to help us find our son. Riverdale has been hit by bad luck, but I'm sure that with this community spirit and love, nothing can bring us down," he smiled warmly. Ben looked at his father, deep in thought. How much of this bullshit did his own dad believe?

"And I would just like to add, that the Cooper family is indebted to all of you for this love and care you are showing us. No matter what is the outcome of today's search, I would like to tell you all that this search is already a success," Hal paused, cueing the applause from the Riverdale citizens. Ben clapped along reluctantly. He caught Vermont's eye in the crowd, smirking. Chester bit his lip, hiding his smirk, trying to keep a straight face.

"Also, Parker, if you aren't here right now, and if you're watching this," Hal looked into the cameras, a sad expression coming over his eyes. "I want to tell you that whatever it is that we did, we are sorry. Mom and Dad are sorry, Parker. Please come back home, sweetheart. We miss you and we love you," Hal said, the perfect balance between strong and sad. Ben wanted to throw up.  _Whatever it is that we did?_ They institutionalized their own son!

Hal morphed his expression back to one of triumph and said, "Well, I would now like to pass the microphone to my amazing wife, Alice, who organized this whole thing, and she will be giving all of you the instructions. Once again, thank you, from the bottom of all our hearts." He glanced at Ben. Ben smiled and nodded.  _Good job, you really convinced them._

Alice smiled and took the microphone, delegating the roles and reading out instructions. The Riverdale citizens shuffled into their groups, and they set off. Ben and Juliet were with Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, and Vermont and Katrina were with the Sherriff and Mrs. Lodge. Chester was with his family, the gothic tragedy.

The three groups shuffled around, knowing exactly where Parker was, and hoping someone stumbled upon him. Vermont caught up to his mother.

"Ma, ma," he said, tapping her back.

"Yes, Monty?" she turned around, breaking off her conversation with the Sherriff.

"I thought about...I thought about the testifying thing and..." he looked around, contemplating his decision last-minute. "I'll do it," Vermont tried to smile.

Hermione looked at Vermont, surprised. "What made you change your mind?" she asked, smiling. A sudden hate overcame Vermont, for his choice, his situation. How the ones who were supposed to make him a better person made him turn to becoming something worse. He wanted to make sure he got back at them. He wanted to, God, how he wanted to. But as a little child, his only power lay in words. In threats. Empty or serious threats?  _That would be up to me, I guess,_ Vermont thought.

"Oh, sweet mother, you can't blackmail a man inside jail, can you?" he winked, before going off to join Rachel Mantle's group, out of nowhere. Hermione stopped short in her tracks, disappointment covering her face.

Vermont saw the expression conquer his mother's face, and felt a strange satisfaction conquer him. He understood why his parents liked to keep people under their thumbs. What a powerful feeling it was.

Vermont hated that he loved it. (Maybe genetics was real.)

~

Chester walked side-by-side with his parents, a fish on land. He shuffled nervously, hoping he could find Parker before Ben or Vermont. However, he knew his parents would never listen to him about where to go. They were currently moving  _away_ from where Parker was supposed to be, and he had tried to get his parents to move towards Parker, but as usual, they had shut him down. His phone pinged, and he looked at the text from Vermont, in a new group chat with the three of them.

**_SOS. W/rachel mantle's grp and im right where we left P. p missing. SOS. P missing. – V_ **

Chester stared at his phone in shock. What? What the hell? Ben's panicked reply pinged almost immediately.

**_Fml fml fml wtf arw you surw?_ **

Chester stared at the message.  _P missing. P missing._ His head started spinning a little. Where could Parker have gone? He looked at his parents, who hadn't even noticed he wasn't with him anymore. Chester suddenly noticed how bad the timing was. It was dark. Parker was nowhere. He wanted to scream. Even when he wanted something, fate would not let him have it.

But what Chester didn't know is that fate had a few tricks up her sleeve.

~


	14. Lost and Found

Parker woke up, his leg twisted at an odd angle. He must have knocked himself out when he was running away from that shadow figure. He had no idea who that was. And now he had no idea how to move and where everyone was. Was the supposed search not supposed to be taking place now? Parker tried to call out for help, but he could barely raise his voice above a whisper.

He tried to drag himself across the soft, almost muddy grass. He felt the dampness touch his skin, and his leg screamed out in pain. He groaned loudly, involuntarily. This had not been the plan. Parker wanted to cry. He was a sitting duck, here like this. He looked around for his bag that had a burner phone, for emergencies. He saw the red bag, fallen far away from the tree, where he was. _I have to get to that bag,_ Parker whispered to himself. He tried to drag himself, relying on his strong arms, yet he failed. He cried out in desperation. Tears cascaded down his face, mingling with the dirt, clearing it off of his face. Two rivulets formed on his face, showing the paleness of his skin, in sharp contrast against the dark dirt that polluted his face. A child, helpless and alone. No one in Riverdale would have thought that the mighty jock, king of youth, Parker Cooper, would have ended up like this, pesky injury hindering him from fending for himself. He tried to call out for help again. He heard the crunching of leaves under boots.

His immediate instinct was to scramble away from the noise, his paranoia overcoming him. They were here for him. He turned to look straight into the face of Chester Blossom, alone. He wanted to smile, but his knee twisted cruelly, sending a gargantuan dose of pain shooting across his nervous system, effectively knocking him out.

~

Ben’s phone vibrated with a message from Chester.

**_Found p. severely injured, knocked out. Get the first aid people and come here ASAP!! – C_ **

Chester stared unbelievingly at the reply Ben sent.

**_Thank you. – B_ **

He shook his head, and stared at the knocked out figure of Parker, afraid to touch it because he didn’t want to do any harm. When the three of them had left Parker, he had been dirtied up on purpose. But something else had definitely happened after that. Parker looked almost ragged now, like he had spent the past few weeks in this forest, trying to survive. He definitely did not look like he had spent the last few weeks in the luxury of the Pembrooke. Chester was itching from answers. It looked like Parker encountered something last night.

Soon, before Chester knew it, the first-aiders were rushing in, pulling him away from Parker, taking the unconscious boy’s pulse, shouting medical terms, and someone led Chester back to his parents, who looked at him with intrigue. He wondered what they were thinking. _How did the token failure succeed at this?_ He looked away from them, doing his best to ignore their expressions, something he could not decode. He hated not being able to understand what those around him were thinking. Usually, he managed to read his parents like picture books, because their hatred was always so clear in their faces.

His mind brandished the image of Parker’s expression right before he passed out in front of Chester. He had tried to scramble away, but the moment Parker had realized who it was, he had sensed the beginnings of a small smile of relief. But behind that, Chester had seen the apprehension. Maybe he had been hallucinating or overanalyzing, but maybe Parker had wished it was someone else that could have found him.

The irrational anger flooded Chester’s body, and he tried to stop from punching a tree.

~

Juliet went back to her trailer in the park, meeting her father drowning in a stench of booze and other things that made him less than. She sighed audibly, knowing his stupor was too deep to stir him. Carefully she picked up the bottles, and disposed of them, regardless of how much liquor they had left in them. She slipped an old, stiff pillow under her father’s head and covered him with a ratty blanket that hovered on her father’s feet, threatening. Sitting down on the makeshift couch, she promised herself, _one break. I will give myself one break._ And she closed her eyes. As much as she wanted it to, sleep did not catch up to her slowly. Every night, ever since she left the Andrews’ she would stay awake and think about her father. And some nights, she would blame him. He drove her mother away, he drove her little brother away. He drove everyone who loved him away, and he got caught in the bottom of a bottle, on the top of a gang. And some nights, she couldn’t find it in him to blame him. Whatever he was, he was a good person. How many times had he comforted her when life got too hard? How many times had he reminded her what she needed in life to survive? Everything she knew about taking care of herself, she had learnt from him. Some nights, she blamed her mother. The separation had taken a huge toll on this family, and it was on that day that Gladys Jones left that Forsythe Pendleton the Second fell down such a deep hole. Except this wasn’t a dream, and Riverdale was no Wonderland. Sometimes, when she felt especially helpless, she blamed herself. She had abandoned him in a way too, by leaving him alone in this wretched trailer. She had pushed him down that reverse-Wonderland, she had compelled him. Some nights she knew she couldn’t blame herself. She was sixteen, damn it. If she wasn’t going to live for herself now, when was she going to? But blaming herself was the easiest. Being the change you want to see was easy, because then you can fool yourself that you have that kind of power. Like she believed she had the power to change things just by coming back. Yet, here she was.

And on especially terrible nights, she blamed that all-knowing entity up there. She imagined whoever was up there must hate her, and her family, and have a personal grudge. She cried on those nights because she knew that if that really was the case, things were never going to change. And being hopeless was easy too because then you can fool yourself by pretending you’ve moved on. If you can’t change it, why would you think about it?

But tonight was different. Tonight, as she leant her head against the sofa, her body tired, she blamed something completely new. It came from within her gut, telling her it was the right answer. Tonight, she blamed the trailer. 

She felt there was something in this trailer which kept her from being truly happy. Or maybe that wasn’t it, but she really couldn’t be too sure. She just knew that someday, something in this horrid place would bring her down. She pointed the accusatory finger in her mind at paranoia, because letting her hope for something after repeated losses was foolish.  

Juliet let her mind wander to sleep, not knowing that human intuition was more reliable than generally thought.

The almost blasé jacket lay in an indescribable heap in FP’s closet, a house of cards collapsed in on itself. Within the depths of the jacket, the biggest secret of Riverdale, the one that plagued people. It would torment the best of people, to keep a secret this big, this dangerous. So a man like FP, how could he not succumb to it?

~

The Cooper household was tense. No one knew who to blame. Was it right to blame Parker? For running away from that horrendous place? Maybe it was right to blame the parents because they were the ones who put Parker there in the first place.

These were the thoughts running around the four blonde-haired people at the dining table. Hal looked at Alice, who looked at Parker, who looked at his food. Ben followed suit. Suddenly, the food was scenery.

“When are you going to fill us in on your vanishing act, Parker?” Hal spat. Parker looked up, at his father, and then looked at his empty fingers, remembering the ring in his duffel bag, nondescript and unsuspicious, yet his biggest secret.

“When Ben told me that Janessa was….was gone, I knew that I had to get answers. I knew I had to get out, and I know I didn’t do it right, but I couldn’t exactly trust the two of you to…to…” Parker struggled to say the hard things.

“We are your parents, Parker,” Alice said gently.

“I know!” Parker fumbled. “I know, it’s just that…ever since she disappeared, you’ve been so…cold to me,” Parker confessed.

“We just don’t get it. What was Janessa to you anyway? She was just a high school girlfriend, Parker,” Hal said callously.

Ben gave some input. “Mom’s your high school girlfriend too, Dad,” he stated. Hal ignored the truth.

Parker looked at his food again. Ben tried to catch Parker’s eye. Parker silently stood up and went upstairs.

Hal and Alice looked at each other. Ben was confused. A couple of minutes later, he stood up to go upstairs too, but Parker was already coming down. He sat back down at the table, turning something silver around in his hands.

He put the ring on the table. “This is my wedding band,” he stated simply.

Hal and Alice’s jaws dropped open. They stared at the thing like it was a viper snake, baring its fangs at them. “You got…married? To Janessa?” Alice asked.

“What the fuck?” Hal cursed. Ben looked up suddenly. He’d never heard his father curse before. “You married…Janessa Blossom?”

Parker looked at his father with a strange defiance. “I very clearly did, Dad,” he hissed.

Alice was helpless. Hal was completely raging by now. “Do you really want me to kick you out of this house, Parker Cooper?” he yelled.

“Hal!” Alice gasped.

“You…married…a Blossom!” Hal hissed. “And not only that, but you didn’t even think about what that would do to the reputation of this family!” he screamed. Ben closed his eyes, trying to block the noise out.

“Hal, please, calm down,” Alice pleaded.

“No, stop it, Alice,” Hal spat. “You, young man,” Hal pointed an accusatory finger at his son, “have really done it this time.”

Alice cut in authoritatively. “Ben, Parker, go up to your rooms. Your father and I need to talk about this,” Alice said, in a tone that clearly stated that this was over.

Ben stood up, Parker following right behind. Ben whispered, “You really could have done without the theatrics.”

He heard a snort from the back. Ben sighed.

~

Chester read the book in his hands with his eyes, but he had been stuck on the same page for an hour. He was thinking about Parker. What would happen now? Would Parker and he become friends? Chester wondered if Parker even remembered Janessa fondly. He put his book down and took out a Rubik’s cube, turning it senselessly and aimlessly in his hands. He hated to admit it, but he was scared.

He was starting to forget.

It started with Janessa’s scent first. She had a citrusy scent, she used that kind of perfume. It was a little bit of tangerine and other nice things. But Chester could only imagine what it smelled like. He still had the bottle, but he didn’t want to spray it and remember too much. Forever stuck in a limbo of wanting and not wanting to forget. Now it was her voice. He used to be able to hear it clear as day, but right now it was faint, and it was mingling with other, foreign voices. He wanted to be able to hear her voice again, but he didn’t know how to reach deep into the recesses of his mind and pull the memory out, only to lose it again.

He still remembered her face, because it was plastered all over the house. He found solace in the fact that he would never forget what she looked like. But he also knew, in the back of his mind, that he wanted to remember all of her. Her face could never be the complete portrayal of her.

He put the cube aside, and turned off the lamp, laying his head on the pillow. His phone buzzed. The caller ID flashed, **BENJAMIN.**

“Aye, Benjamin,” Chester joked the moment he picked up the phone.

“You do realize my brother’s name is Benedict, right?” a voice said.

“Wait, is this Parker?” Chester asked, sitting upright in the darkness.

“Hey, Chester, listen,” Parker explained, “I was thinking…maybe I should move to the Thornhill for a while,” Parker stated.

Chester smiled. Perhaps he could get the things he wanted, sometimes.

~

Juliet woke up, looking around the trailer. Her father was gone, the blanket and pillow in a heap next to her. She stood up, and washed her face, brushed her teeth. She wanted breakfast, but all that was left at home was a little bit of milk, not even enough to fill up an entire cup. She sighed. Guess she would have to go without breakfast today.

She sat down in the trailer, taking out some of her homework, trying to do it amongst the mess of it all. She couldn’t. The concentration just wasn’t coming to her anymore. She wanted to talk to Ben, but she knew he would be busy with the Parker mess. He was texting her about the big reveal at the table yesterday, and how it backfired. And how Parker was planning to move to Thornhill. So going to Ben and complaining about the same old problem seemed useless now.

And she would talk to Ariel, except Ariel and she just weren’t the same anymore. And the longer Juliet thought about it, the harder her heart ached. Juliet wanted to blame it all on that bloody music teacher, but she knew that her own shit had gotten in the way of the two of them too. And it really hurt to think that her life could get worse.

Losing Ariel. Who the hell would have thought Juliet Jones and Ariel Andrews had the physical ability to _not_ be friends? The world just was not following its laws in recent times.

Suddenly, Juliet’s door rattled with someone’s angry knuckles. She rushed to the door, irritated that someone was interrupting her busy schedule of being unproductive and idle.

The crimson-haired devil Juliet had just been thinking about stood at the door, a wide beaming smile on her face, a bag slung over one shoulder.     

“Ariel,” Juliet said, clearly surprised.

“Julie!” Ariel exclaimed. “Let me in maybe?”

Juliet stepped aside, and Ariel walked in. “The last time we talked,” Ariel started.

“I’m sorry,” Juliet interrupted.

“No, you shouldn’t be,” Ariel tried to explain herself.

“But I am. Let’s leave it at that,” Juliet insisted.

“Juliet…” Ariel groaned.

“I’m sorry, and I’m glad you’re here. Want to do some calculus?”

Ariel stared at Juliet, surprised. “Why are you just forgiving me like this? I messed up. I shouldn’t have gone to that place and I should have left your life alone.”

Juliet smiled. “Yes, you messed up. Yes, you should not have gone to that place. But should you leave me alone? No. And I am forgiving you without an apology?”

Juliet left the question hanging, thinking. “Yes.”

Ariel still stared at Juliet, stumped. “I want to pinch myself.”

Juliet laughed, and then joked, “Let me do the honours!” Playfully, she pinched Ariel and then pulled her into a hug.

“God, I missed you so much,” Juliet told Ariel.

Ariel smiled into the hug, holding Juliet tighter. Yet Juliet’s quick forgiveness settled uneasily into the back of Ariel’s mind. It was unexpected, and unnatural.

~


	15. ~~ face-cast details ~~

So...I originally posted this fic first on Wattpad which allowed face-casts so obviously I face-casted some actors because I just think it's great to imagine, you know? Anyways here are my face-casts for the genderswapped version of Riverdale! Very much overdue, sorry. 

Sabrina Carpenter as Ariel Andrews   
Corey Fogelmanis as Benedict Cooper  
Spencer Boldman as Parker Cooper  
Cameron Boyce as Vermont Lodge  
Rowan Blanchard as Katrina Keller  
Brenna D'Amico as Juliet Jones  
Thomas Doherty as Chester Blossom  
Kelli Berglund as Janessa Blossom   
Ian Harding as Gerard Grundy 

(Because Gerard and Ezra are the same and Ezra deserved to get obliterated from PLL so this is me righting some wrongs.)


	16. ~~ author's note ~~

Hi! Thank you so much for reading this! This fic and this note.

So in the beginning of this fic, I was thinking that the conclusion of the overall mystery of the show won't be changed in this, but I've just come up with a storyline that I seriously want to write! So yeah, the conclusion isn't going to be the same, but hopefully, this one will be better. And it's going to set up sequels ;)

I can't assure you that we'll find out who killed Janessa Blossom. But we'll find out something else, something maybe more important. But definitely, we'll find out the whodunnit. _Eventually._

And something really weird I noticed is that I've actually been (not on purpose) dropping subtle hints about what that possibility is. So you know, keep your eye out for it. I will tell you this; some new characters are heading your way. One of the biggest hints that I didn't even realize I dropped is in one of the earliest chapters. It's crazy, it's like my subconscious knew what I wanted to do in this AU. Also, look out for clues in the more recent ones.

I'm going to tell you this; some of you won't like it. The plot point has been used over and over again. But I know for sure that this is what is supposed to happen in this fic. Hopefully I don't screw it up! Thank you for reading and comments and feedback are greatly appreciated!

~ dangpankoozie

P.S. - My characters are all Disney actors and actresses because a) Girl Meets World is ( **yes, is** ) the best and b) ...they're the correct age range to face-cast these characters (except for Thomas Doherty and Spencer Boldman but I couldn't resist). My favourite face-cast is Corey Fogelmanis as Benedict Cooper. He just perfectly fits my headcanon of how a male version of Betty Cooper would be like. How about you?     


	17. Off-Kilter

“So you’re actually going to testify. Against your dad. The one you’re afraid of?” Kat asked, sipping on a milkshake at Pop’s.

Vermont sighed, and nodded. “I don’t really care anymore. He’s blackmailing me, and I’m letting myself fall for it.”

Kat remained silent, contemplative, looking at her best friend. It had been a very short time since Vermont had arrived in Riverdale, and yet wild events had brought the two of them closer together. So Kat knew. Kat knew about how hard Vermont was trying to fit into the role of a good person. So to see him, giving in to something that was steering him away from that, hurt her. She didn’t like to see Vermont hurt. And she hated it even more when she realized the best she could do about it was talk to Vermont at Pop’s and treat him to a feel-good milkshake. And even that he didn’t want to drink!

She cleared her throat. “Can I ask you something, V?”

He looked up, his face a ragged sea of turmoil. “Sure,” he said, not a whisper, but just as soft.

“Why exactly are you going to do it? I get the whole blackmail thing…but they’re empty threats, right? He’s in jail,” Kat said.

“Sure, he’s in jail, except…I don’t know. I don’t want to be the one big reason he stays in there.”

Kat raised her eyebrows. This was new. “What? What do you mean?”

Vermont took out his phone and started searching on the internet, requesting Kat to wait a minute. A second later Vermont showed her the search result for his name, and Kat saw the horrifying news articles.

“None of this is true,” Kat insisted. “You get that, right? None of this is true.”

“No, Kat, you’re wrong. It is true. I did hurt friends back in New York, and…and…” he fumbled for his regular eloquence.

“Okay, so you weren’t exactly a Mary Sue back in New York. Who is? But that’s not the reason your dad is in jail!”

Vermont shrugged faux-nonchalantly. “I don’t know, Kat. I mean, those judges, that jury, they read these articles. And they see this, and they see my obnoxious face in the courtroom, and they think, _with a son like that, there’s no way this man is innocent._ ”

Kat’s mouth dropped open in shock. This train of thought was so wrong. It wasn’t even a train of thought. It was a train wreck.

“Hey, listen to me, if you’re testifying for your dad because you think he’s in jail because of you, don't. Because no good judge looks at a 16-year-old boy and thinks that. You’re literally a teenager, we’re supposed to make big mistakes,” Kat reasoned, holding Vermont’s hand.

“I was a bully, Kat,” Vermont said softly.

“And now you’re trying not to be,” Kat supplied.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I was like that,” Vermont said, stubborn.

Kat leaned back, taking her milkshake cup in her hand and sipping it. “What’s the difference, V? In New York, you were bullying others. Here, you’re bullying yourself.”

~

Ariel sat at her table, pen in hand, trying to integrate an equation. It wasn’t working. She kept thinking about Juliet’s absurdly easy forgiveness. Sure, she was concerned for her father’s site and that’s why she went to the bar. Sure, she was kind of justified in her action. But Juliet knew how to keep a grudge. She still hated Michelle for hitting her in the stomach hard with a dodgeball during fifth grade. _Fifth grade._ And when Ariel teased Juliet for it, she would whine, “Well, in defence, she hasn’t said sorry till this day!”

So for Juliet to literally ask her not to apologize, meant that something was up. It meant that she was going back to how she was immediately after July fourth, hidden and alone. And Ariel was not going to let that happen. Because she wasn’t there for Juliet after July fourth, and this was the perfect opportunity to make up for mistakes.

And besides, she already had a partner in crime for the job.

Ariel put down her pen and reached for her phone, clicking on the green phone icon in **coopy benz**

“Ari. Hey,” Ben said.

“Hey, B.” Ariel said into the phone. She wasn’t expecting the comfort of talking to Ben again. It hit her like a cool zephyr on a hot day. Unexpected, welcome. And suddenly, she forgot about Juliet.

“What’s up?”

“…just wanted to check in. I realized I haven’t spoken to you in a while,” she said.

“Ah, my ever-spontaneous Andrews,” Ben joked. But it didn’t quite sound like him, and it mirrored that time when he told Ariel about how Parker had gotten sent away.

Ariel giggled. “How’s shit been, Ben?”

“It’s been…pretty shit,” Ben chuckled half-heartedly.

“How’s Parker?” she asked.

He sighed. It was a heavy sigh, like he was transferring his burdens through the speaker to her. “He called Chester last night. And now I think he’s moving to the Thornhill.”

“To the…Thornhill. Did I…did you just say Parker’s moving to the Thornhill?” Ariel was dumbfounded.

“I know. Ridiculous, right?”

“Totally. Are you sure he’s not kidding?”

“He called Chester to set up a damn date,” Ben spat.

“How the hell did he even get Chester’s number?” Ariel asked.

“He used my phone,” Ben replied sheepishly.

“See?” Ariel joked, but only slightly. “This is why you need a password!”

“I’m a trusting person!” Ben argued, mimicking the same half-joking, half-serious tone.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Ariel asked.

“I…don’t know,” Ben admitted.

“That’s okay. Not knowing for a while is okay,” Ariel said.

“For a while only, though,” Ben laughed.

“I’ve been not knowing things for a while too,” Ariel sighed, remembering Juliet’s odd behavior.

“Talk to me, if you want to.”

“I went to Juliet’s trailer yesterday, to apologise. And she just…brushed it off. She didn’t even let me say sorry,” Ariel explained.

“That’s good, right?”

“Except Jules is not really the forgiving type,” Ariel prompted.

“So?” Ben asked nonchalantly. “People change.”

“That’s what you’re going to say? People change?” Ariel asked, confused. Ben was usually more proactive about his friends.

“If she’s deciding to forgive you, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Isn’t she your girlfriend? Shouldn’t you be more concerned that she’s not being normal?” Ariel asked sharply.

Ben’s voice became more guarded. “She’s not being abnormal, for Christ’s sake, Ariel, calm down and enjoy the freedom from your guilt,” Ben explained, exasperated.

Ariel sighed. “Alright. I need to go and do my work. Bye.” And then she hung up, jutting out her lower jaw and blowing out air, the hair that had fallen in front of her face fluttering.

Perhaps she didn’t have a partner in crime ready.

~

Chester’s heart was leaping out of his chest, his music blaring in his ears. The leaves crunching underneath his feet, and his breath rhythmic. Routine. Breathe in, breathe out. He’d been running for 20 minutes, and he was not going to stop very soon.

This was a victory jog, Chester had decided. The autumn cold was just right for the respite from the absurdly hot afternoon, and now in the setting twilight, the woods around Thornhill seemed more beautiful than they really were.

And he had won in the sense that Parker was going to live with them. And Parker was Janessa’s better half. So it was almost like trading in a family member for another.

His breath faltered, and his legs almost gave way, tripping on a fallen branch. _No._ No replacing Janessa. Janessa was a hole in his life he was going to have to live with. Parker was a way to forget the hole. Like substance abuse, except Parker was no substance and this was no abuse.

Anyways, this was a victory jog because Chester was getting what he wanted, for once. And while he didn’t know why he wanted it, and how Parker being at Thornhill would even help Chester, he knew he liked it. And besides, getting back at Benedict even for no reason was always fun.

And he grinned while he jogged, his expression bathed in the twilight. And to any passer-by he would have looked garish, but he was unreasonably over the moon on that day. And time passed like that, way beyond his curfew of eleven. 

And while he jogged back to Thornhill, he looked at his phone, hoping there were notifications. Instead, the time of 12:03 splashed across his phone like acid, burning his throat dry. All sorts of curse words started dancing around in his head. He sprinted up the steep slope to his house, meeting the locked door. This was the third time.

“Father,” Chester screamed, knocking on the door wildly. “Please, open up,” Chester pleaded. It was dark. And it was going to get colder. And Chester was drenched in sweat, and already shivering. He really needed to go inside.

“Mother! Please!” Chester yelled, tears forming in his eyes. _No, no, not again._ The last time this had happened, Janessa had been there, and she had sneaked him some hot chocolate through the window. They were twelve. _How the hell could he have forgotten? Eleven, eleven!_

Chester saw the lights in the living room turn on, and saw his mother come at the window. She stared at him, smirking. “The doors are locked,” she stated simply.

“Please,” he begged, trying not to cry. “Not again, mother, it’s really cold outside,” he said.

“I know,” she grinned heartlessly.

“Please, can I at least have a blanket?” he asked, hoping she would say yes.

“Maybe if you could come into the house, you wouldn’t need a blanket,” she hissed coldly.

“Please, mother,” he begged. He was already shivering, and he was drenched in sweat. It was almost as good as being out in a torrential downpour. “I really need to shower, I’m going to catch a cold out here like this!”

“If you were so concerned, maybe you should have come home before curfew!” she smiled cruelly, and left the window, turning the lights off in the living room.

Chester’s teeth chattered, and he was unable to think. He really could use Janessa’s help. He tried calling her. But the dial tone went on and on, and then Chester remembered. And her loss and his loneliness hit him like a tsunami, drenching him again. So he cried. He cried until his shirt got even more soaked, until his nose was running.

This was what being without Janessa felt like. Alone, locked, without food or water, stomach grumbling. Helpless.

 _I haven’t eaten since the search on Friday,_ Chester realized. And even more horrifying was that his parents did not care. At all. Because he didn’t even have a granola bar to toss into his mouth out here, and he was completely drenched in tears, sweat and his own fucking mucus, and he was alone. And he was thirsty too. And he was dressed in gym shorts, and a thin tee that wasn’t keeping the cold out anyway.

And number seven hit. It was the worst one yet.

He couldn’t concentrate on his surroundings, and he felt out of it. That’s usually how it started. And then the breath left his lungs, leaving him desperate to breathe. And he started whimpering, like a helpless puppy. He hid his face, away from no one, and found that was a bad idea. His ability to breathe in and out abandoned him. The ultimate betrayal of an inborn instinct. And now he couldn’t move. He was stuck in that breathless position, and he thought, _I’m dying. I’m fucking dying. I can’t breathe._ And there was no Janessa to help him. And he was hungry. His stomach sounded like thunder.

No, no, wait. That was the actual thunder in the sky. Chester collapsed on the floor of the porch, his shaking hands scrambling for his phone. He tried to look up at the dial pad. He tried to dial the number through memory.

191? No. 991? No. 119? No. Damn it! A strangled cry that no one heard escaped his lips and the phone slipped from his sweaty hands, skidding away from him.

“Mother…father…” he called out, hoping they would hear him. But lightning crackled across the sky in horrifying purple streaks, drowning out his pleas for help. And even if they did hear him, they wouldn’t open up anyway.

The rain fell hard, and the porch was no good in protecting him from the water. He was so close to the edge of the porch, on the stairs. The water soaked him to his bones, drenching his boxers. Oh, definitely, this was the worst one yet. This beat the one in the car, the one on the field.

Chester couldn’t think. He knew he was supposed to tell himself that he wasn’t dying, but it was very clear that he was. Why not? He couldn’t breathe. And his dead sister was standing right there.

Smiling. That’s what she was doing. She crouched down at him, and whispered. “It’s okay, I’m here. It’s alright. You’re not dying, you’re fine. Just breathe, C. Breathe.”

And he listened. At least, he did his very best. Three seconds in. Three seconds out. The tears flowed freely, like Sweetwater River overflowed freely on an especially rainy night, like this one.

“Help me,” he called out to his sister, who was stroking his hair.

“Oh, Chester,” Janessa sighed. “You’re going to have to help yourself from now on,” she said.

“Please,” his face crunched up, like a piece paper thrown into the waste basket. More tears, and the rain drops pricked his skin even more. “Please,” he whispered.

“You’ll be okay,” Janessa insisted calmly. Chester wanted to believe her. “I’ll make sure of it,” she said. She kissed his forehead, and then lightning made his whole world white.

And when the dark colors returned to the scene of Thornhill, Janessa Blossom was gone.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi thanks for reading!! Anyways I just wanted to say that I'll be going for a short three-week hiatus soon, but I'll be posting until Chapter Nineteen or so before 23 Oct!! Some very Blossomy business is heading this way ;) I have my O-Levels from 23 Oct so there's that. I'll be posting again from around 10 Nov or so, after the last spam on 23 Oct. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3  
> ~ dangpankoozie
> 
> PS - [SPOILER ALERT] S2E01 has me shook. So glad they didnt go the pll route with grundy. And the Lodges are spicy ;) KJ's acting slew me. Also...when Jughead told Pop to not be dramatic, I stared into the camera like I was on the Office smh


	18. The Thornhill Dilemma

“Are you serious?” Alice Cooper gasped.

“Mom, you know I can’t stay here, especially since Dad is being…like this,” Parker explained.

“And how is going to Thornhill going to help the situation?” Alice asked, sounding a little hurt.

“Janessa was my wife, mom. For a year.”

“For…a year?” Alice asked.

“I was planning to run since last year,” Parker admitted in a small voice.

Alice stared at Parker for so long. She tried to get him to look at her, so that she could read her son like she used to. One whole year. For one whole year her own son hated this household enough to abandon it. And Alice was a little scared, because in his actions she could see herself. Because she knew that if at eighteen she had the option to abandon her family for Hal, and plan it for a year, she would have done it. And it was when Alice saw the worst parts of herself in her sons she got angry. And a little afraid.

But this time, instead of grounding Parker, or punishing him in any way, she stood up, sighed. And walked away. Maybe genetics was real.

Ben watched the scene from the top of the stairwell, tense. He was losing his brother, again.

Defeated, he went inside his room and flopped on his bed, and impulsively texted Chester a rude message.

**_Congrats. You got what you wanted! My brother is now yours._ **

And Ben stared at the screen, and wondered why the hell Chester wasn’t replying. He was in the mood for a good verbal skirmish with his favorite opponent, and now Chester wasn’t even replying! The world definitely knew how to irritate Ben, it seemed.  

~

Chester’s eyes cracked open, sore from all the crying. He was still a little damp, but much drier than last night. He was still on his porch, and he sat up, groaning. He remembered flashes of his panic attack from the previous night, and the hallucination.

It had been terrifying. That was when it had dawned on Chester that maybe he actually needed help. That maybe seven panic attacks and such a grave loss of appetite wasn’t normal. Chester had always kind of accepted he wasn’t normal. But this was different. This meant he needed help.

Chester opened the unlocked door, and went upstairs to his empty room. His parents, at the table, were reading the newspaper, and didn’t even look at him.

He was still a little shaken by last night, and he couldn’t believe he was fine. He didn’t feel fine. He kept breathing in deeply, consciously. He felt feverish, and his body was warm. Hands shaking, he took a thermometer from his closet and put it inside his mouth, waiting.

Sure enough, the thermometer did signal a fever to him. So he took out his pack of paracetamol tablets and prayed that they worked and that he wasn’t doomed to an early death of pneumonia. He didn’t want to die of pneumonia, at least. Pneumonia was grisly. Dying? Maybe not so much.

Chester shook his head to get rid of the dangerous thought. He was all levels of screwed up, but he wasn’t ready to transcend to that level quite yet. He took off his clothes and stepped into the shower stall, letting the hot steam from the water scald his skin a little so that he didn’t feel like his body didn’t quite belong to him anymore. Getting out of the shower, he shook his head like a wet puppy, getting droplets all over the mirror. Janessa and he used to do this, pour water over each other’s hair and then shake it out, get the mirror all wet. The moment the memory struck him, he stopped, and then forced the memory to get out. He was afraid of forgetting, and afraid of remembering.

Getting out of the bathroom, he quickly slipped on some clothes, and felt his hair, which was still damp. He needed a hairdryer. And the pathetic thing was he didn’t have one. So he had to look through Janessa’s old stuff, the things that he decided not to throw out. A red hairdryer, sleek and a catalyst of chaos, was in the box. Chester took a deep breath, and not trusting himself enough to stay calm and not get hit by number eight, plugged it in. And then he dried his hair with it, the hot air blowing over his skin, the sensation reminiscent of the steam on his face in the cubicle earlier. Nothing. Exhaling in relief, Chester unplugged the dryer and set it back in the box.

He then sat down at his desk and checked his phone, and saw the text from Benedict. Chester grinned. God, the rush of serotonin felt good. Parker was coming to Thornhill, it seemed. He didn’t bother to reply. He bet that would irk Benedict more than any other snarky reply he could come up with.

His stomach grumbled. _Breakfast,_ it occurred to Chester. He didn’t want to eat. Ever since Janessa’s…passing, Chester’s appetite had filed a divorce against him. Anything he ate never really stayed down. _You need to eat, Chester,_ he told himself. He decided to brave the tempest downstairs and get some breakfast.

Downstairs, his parents were done reading the newspaper, and were just sitting silently, sipping some high-class tea his aunt got from the UK. “Is there…is there any breakfast?” Chester asked meekly. He hated this Chester, the small boy in pajamas holding Danny the Bear and his safety blanket, scared shitless of his parents.

“No,” his father replied curtly.

“Oh, you haven’t had breakfast yet, father?” he asked, hopeful. A meal together, at one table. That was a good place, right? To bring the topic up.

“We’ve finished breakfast.”

“Oh,” his face fell. “Can I get something?” he asked his mother.

His mother looked at him, eyes cold as stone. “Do not expect the cook to drop all her chores to make a meal for you. Should’ve come downstairs earlier,” she reprimanded.

He rubbed his ankles together nervously. “Okay,” he said, meekly again. “Okay,” he said it again, with a more assertive voice this time.

“I need to tell you something, father,” he said. “And you too, mother,” he added quickly.

They looked at him, and suddenly the sheer force of their eye contact knocked the breath out of his body. _Oh my god, I’m going to fucking have number eight in front of my parents,_ he lamented in his head.

“Ever since…Janessa’s…passing,” he began, each syllable forced out, coarse and sounding wrong. “I’ve been having…attacks,” he paused, taking the chance to quell his nerves. 

“Who’s been attacking you?” his father asked, eyebrow raised. Chester noted that it wasn’t an eyebrow-raise of concern. It was more like, _how the hell are you so weak?_

“No not…not physical…attacks. Um. I’ve been…uh,” he struggled to even talk. This was a bad idea. Not that Chester was surprised. He had never had a singular good idea before.

“Speak eloquently, Chester, or don’t talk at all,” his mother reprimanded again.

“I’ve been having anxiety attacks, mother,” he said quickly, getting the confession out of his system.

“And…I haven’t been eating,” Chester said, hoping to evoke some guilt in his parents.

“So?” his father asked sharply. “Anxiety attacks happen to people. And as for the eating…that’s your personal responsibility. You can’t expect us to feed you like you’re five.”

 _You didn’t even feed me when I was five,_ Chester said. _It was Janessa. Janessa the six-year-old._

“Father…I, I really do need help,” he insisted.

“Help? What? You mean like a shrink?” his mother asked harshly.

“I…yeah. I think so,” he said, rubbing his ankles together again. God, this was a train wreck. A complete and utter train wreck.

His mother laughed. An honest, genuine laugh. Like his mental health was a joke. _Maybe it is,_ he thought. “Honestly, Chester, you really do crack good jokes. One panic attack doesn’t mean you need a therapist!” she exclaimed.

Clifford Blossom smirked at his helpless son.

“I’ve had seven, as of last night. When you locked me out in the middle of the rain. And I have a fever now,” Chester said in a rush.

“Well,” Clifford cleared his throat. “You should have come home before eleven,” he shrugged.

“Please,” Chester begged. “Can I please get help?” he asked.

“Goodness, Chester. You’re not going to a shrink. No one else in the world needs to know you’re a lunatic,” his mother said sarcastically. “What would the rest of the town say? That Chester Blossom, son of Penelope and Clifford Blossom, is a crazy maniac?” she asked.

He looked down, ignoring the tears that were pooling in his eyes. He needed help, he really needed help. He knew this.

“Please,” he begged, one last time.

“Stop begging,” Clifford said curtly. “You’re not a beggar. If you really want help, we can pull a Cooper and send you to a home for troubled young men,” he threatened.

“Do you want that?” his mother added.

“No,” he said softly, pathetic and disgusting Baby Chester coming out again. “No, I don’t want that,” he said again, making sure his parents heard him.

“Good, that’s what we thought,” his father said, pulling the newspaper up again, covering his face.

Chester ran up to his room, trying his best to wipe away the tears. How did he even think that this was going to work?

He flung himself onto the mattress, laughing in an ugly manner. He must look so dramatic right now, right? A perfect gothic hero. It would be even more fitting if he was a girl.

God, he owned the color spectrum of screwed-up. He took out a granola bar. Peanut butter. He liked peanut butter. Maybe this will stay.

He ate half. And then, he felt the vomit coming from a mile away. _No, no, please, stay in my stomach, please,_ he begged in his head. But the peanut butter flavor returned coupled with acid, and his eyes teared up in reaction. Once he puked out everything he had just eaten, he knelt next to the toilet bowl, staring into the distance. His tears had run out.

He closed his eyes, too tired to move and escape the stench of the vomit he forgot to flush. And there was some on the floor. God, how pathetic was he? Even drunkards didn’t get this bad.

 _You need to clean that, Chester,_ he told himself. _Later,_ he whined.  

He stayed like that, in his half-conscious stupor, the stench of the vomit all he could concentrate on. It was good, that it smelled in there. It was a good distraction from all the thoughts vying for his attention. He wanted to cry a little bit more, but he was all wrung out.

 _I really need help, don’t I?_ he asked himself, except it didn’t sound serious anymore. It was a joke. _Plenty of people need things they will never get,_ he thought.

_Now I’m one of them._

~

Ben held his phone to his ear. “It’s Juliet’s birthday soon,” he told Ariel. “We should do something,” he insisted.

“Sure, but nothing big right?” she asked back.

“Come on, it’s her sweet sixteen. Obviously it’s going to be huge,” he said, giving the last word his favorite Donald Trump mimicry.

Ariel laughed. “But come on, Juliet’s not going to like that. She’s not a stickler for society, remember?” she said.

“Come on, sixteen only happens once. Big party! Please, please!” he jumped up and down, like a little child.

“…fine,” Ariel conceded. “But she’s not going to like it,” Ariel insisted.

“Ah, that’s the talk of a kook,” Ben laughed.

“Only close friends invited,” Ariel insisted.

“Oh yeah,” Ben nodded on his phone. “Definitely. If Chester shows up, I think Juliet might combust,” he joked.

Ariel laughed. “Meet at Pop’s to plan further?”

“No, Juliet’s there all the time. My house?”

“Sure. Homework?”

“That’ll be the façade, yes,” Ben agreed.

Ariel smiled. “I’ll be there right away.”

~

Vermont sat inside Pop’s, his homework spread out like a blueprint on the table. He liked to study at Pop’s. There was an endless supply of French fries that he could munch on (he did that on cheat days) and he loved the Caesar salad here. And it was quieter than home. Not that his mother had anyone to scream at. But it was better here. He and his mother weren’t the same anymore, not since the search. Maybe that was for the best. Maybe once his father arrived, he and his mother would be completely closed off, and Vermont could just ignore his parents forever.

That really sounded like the best-case scenario.

Chester walked in at that moment, looking like he had just died three times. He didn’t see Vermont at the booth, and then walked up to the counter, asking Pop’s something. Pop’s smiled and then nodded, and then gave Chester a piece of paper and some food.

Chester smiled genuinely and took the plate. He looked around, and spotted Vermont. He walked over, and Vermont hurriedly cleared the place.

“Can I sit?” he asked.

“Sure,” he said.

Chester placed the paper next to his plate, and then picked up his fork, hesitant to eat.

“It looks good. The onion rings here are great,” Vermont said.

Chester smiled and nodded.

Vermont’s eyes fell on the paper, the slant of Pop’s handwriting clear from where he was sitting.

_Mon-Fri 5-9_

_$10 per hour_

“Chester, what’s this?” he asked.

“Shift timings. And salary,” he added.

“You’re…working?” Vermont asked.

Chester nodded, having a stare-down contest with his food.

“For what?” Vermont asked, curious.

“I’m saving up for something,” Chester said vaguely.

“Your pocket money is larger than Rwanda’s GDP, Chester,” he stated.

“I’m pretty sure that’s inaccurate. African countries are making great economic progress, I’ll have you know,” Chester insisted.

Vermont laughed. Sometimes he forgot that deep down Chester was an intellectual. “Okay, okay, Scholar Blossom, so maybe not that big. But what do you have to save up for?” Vermont asked.

“Nothing important,” Chester mumbled.

“Okay,” Vermont said, realizing that perhaps he was pushing way too hard. If he wanted to tell him, then he would.

Chester looked at Vermont. “God, Chest, you look really sick,” Vermont commented.

“Ugh, I feel terrible,” Chester agreed.

“Are you on meds?” Vermont asked.

“Paracetamol, yeah,” he said. Vermont nodded.

Vermont and Chester passed through a comfortable silence. Vermont stared at Chester’s lovely onion rings, the one he hadn’t touched at all.

“Eat it, Chest. Otherwise I will,” Vermont threatened.

“You can if you want to,” Chester offered.

“No way. You should eat it,” Vermont said, not knowing how many chords he hit in Chester.

“I haven’t been…I can’t really…eat anymore,” Chester said in a small voice.

“What?” Vermont asked, his voice cracked glass. “Are you starving yourself?”

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s just…when I eat, it just…doesn’t stay down. It’s been like that since Janessa…died,” he said.

“Oh my God,” Vermont gasped.

“Yeah…” Chester looked at Vermont, gauging his reaction.

“Have you…have you tried to talk to someone? Besides me?” he asked.

“I tried to talk to my parents but…that’s completely backfired,” he said.

“Maybe you could try a counsellor, at school,” he suggested.

Chester laughed, and it was ugly. His sore throat crackled like dead static. “No, no fucking way,” he said.

“Okay, okay,” Vermont conceded. How was he supposed to handle this? He cared about him. He cared about Chester so much, but sometimes Chester shut down so fast.

“Please, eat,” Vermont begged.

Chester squeezed his eyes, as if he was trying to cry, but his cheeks were completely dry. “I tried to eat just now, at home. And I ended up cleaning my own vomit,” Chester said, clutching his head in his arms.

“Off of the floor, and my mouth still tasted like it, and the stench was everywhere. God, I’m pathetic,” Chester said to himself more than he said to Vermont.

“No, no, no you’re not,” Vermont insisted.

“I’ve had seven,” Chester said softly and quickly again.

“Seven…what?”

“Anxiety attacks,” Chester said.

Vermont’s jaw dropped open. “You need to see a counsellor, or get help elsewhere. Go for therapy, or something,” he said.

“That’s what I’m saving up for,” Chester said.

“What?”

“Yeah, my parents…they don’t believe me.”

 _What was it in parents that made them hate their children?_ Vermont wondered. His parents were manipulating him for their own benefit, and now Chester’s parents were being like…this. Vermont took Chester’s hands in his own, ignoring what it looked like to anyone outside the window.

“I’m here. Okay? I’m here,” Vermont said. Chester nodded, not asking the question in his head.

_For how long?_

~

Ariel and Ben sat on his bed, discussing the details about Juliet’s party. Ariel was glad to back with Ben, as comfortable with him as she was before this semester started. Her friendship with literally all her friends except Kat had gone through turmoil ever since… _him._

Ariel shook her head lightly. _No thinking about him._

“I was thinking maybe we should invite just you, me, Monty, Kat and obviously, Juliet. Maybe Kat’s girlfriend could come along too. Josephine, right?”

Ariel nodded tersely. Kat’s love life reminded her of the Whyte Wyrm, and that was not a pretty memory.

Ben, oblivious, carried on.  “And definitely, we’ll need to surprise her. Maybe we could do it at your house. And then you should convince her to walk you home, and then…surprise!” He suggested excitedly.

“That sounds great,” Ariel nodded.

“Maybe we should get Mr. Jones too,” Ben said.

Ariel tried not to wince at his name. She nodded. “My dad, too. He’ll want to be there,” she said.

“Juliet would like that. Maybe she might not like the party, but she’ll like the fact that her father is there,” Ben said, more to himself than to Ariel.

“I don’t know, if we keep the party small enough Juliet would like it,” Ariel shrugged.

“No alcohol,” Ben reminded Ariel.

“We’ll have to remind Kat, then,” Ariel chuckled. Ben laughed.

“Oh and gifts. I wonder what I should get her,” Ben wondered.

“Oh shit! Ben! What about cake?” Ariel asked.

“I’m sure Kat and Monty would bake something,” Ben said. Ariel nodded, quickly sending the two of them a text.

The positively reply pinged back almost immediately. Ariel smiled. She loved her friends so much. Sometimes the goodness of her friends hit her like a bag of bricks, except she liked it. She smiled. It was going to be a good party. She could feel it.

~

 


	19. Good Girls, Bad Girls

Vermont sat inside the lawyer’s office, signing the statement they had drafted together. Vermont hadn’t even read it. He personally, didn’t even really care that much. He knew that no matter how much he fought his parents and their ways, they would always win. He blamed it on himself, and them. Sometimes he blamed it on nobody.

He signed the statement haphazardly and dodged the hug from his mom. And then, sulking, he walked out of the office, and sat in the passenger seat of his car, so that his mother couldn’t talk to him. The drive back was terrible. A cold silence pervaded the car as Vermont stared at the same picture on Instagram (it was a picture of Tom Holland and his dog in an interview) the whole drive back.

He wondered if Spiderman escaped situations by just flinging webs from his window to somewhere else. He stifled a chuckle, the image funny.

God, he would love to be Spiderman right now.

~

Forsythe Pendleton Jones II sat inside the Andrews’ construction trailer, way after closing hours. His daughter’s boy had asked him to meet him there, as well as Ariel.

Usually, fathers were always wary of their daughters’ boyfriends, except he had no right to be wary of anyone his daughter associated with. They were probably better influences on her than him anyway. _And besides,_ he thought. _Isn’t that Ben Alice’s son?_ Mr Jones smiled. Even though Alice and he had a rough history, he always knew that she would make his life better.

And she was doing so because Ben was her son, and her promise had still rung through her head.

_I promise you, Jones, that any child of mine will be better than yours. In every possible way._

At that point of time, the words had stung. No teenage boy liked hearing the truth (that he could never be a good father). But he loved his daughter, and he didn’t care if Benedict was better than her or not. He loved her enough to understand that next week when she rang in her sixteenth, he wouldn’t be anywhere in the picture.

The revelation he had made all by himself still hurt. The past few years it had been him, Fred, Ariel and her, enjoying a box of popcorn and drinks at the Twilight Drive-In, watching some black-and-white movie. Sometimes when he was feeling festive, he would buy the two of them some cake from the local bakery. And then he would flirt with the cashier and persuade her into giving him a free candle, and he would light it up with his lighter with the Serpent engraved on it, and they would sing to her. Just the four of them, like always.

It had been like that when they were five, except at that time Gladys and Mary had been there. Now it was just the four of them, but that was still okay. And this year it’ll be just the three of them.

And even though that wasn’t okay, it really was.

Because he wasn’t a good father, he was a gang leader. Because Alice was right (when was she not?), and that her son, the one she brought up so well, was going to be a blessing in her life, and by extension, also his.

But still. Sixteen was special. And while he regretted that he was going to miss it, he didn’t let himself wallow in misery for too long. He knew that the time had come (like he had known it would) when staying far away from his daughter had become the only way to tell her that he loved her. Because he loved her enough to know that he was the worst influence in her life and that he loved her enough to stay away and let her grow into a beautiful person on her own, just like he knew she would.

“Mr Jones?” Ariel’s voice called out from the outside of the trailer. He shook his thoughts away and lumbered to the door.

“Hey, kid. What’s up?” he asked.

Ariel tried her best not to remember the last avatar or Mr Jones she had witnessed, but she couldn’t help glancing at his arm now and then. Where the venomous snake lay, razing everything in its path.

 _Enough of the dramatics, Ariel,_ she thought to herself.

“Thanks for meeting us, Mr Jones,” Ben said politely.

The father looked at Ben. _Hal’s face, but Alice’s smile. Alice’s eyes too. The very same,_ he thought. Burning blue, vigorous yet thoughtful. The same feistiness that Alice had was in her son too, no doubt. He hid a smile.

“No problem, kiddo,” he said, his voice softer. He was tired, he realized. Now that he was back at work, especially after the Ariel spectacle, he had done his best to get back on track. Today had been one of the good days. He’d even done some overtime. It felt good, to be tired because of a long day of work. It felt normal. Usually, he was tired because of a loud and brash day at the Wyrm, where he had broken up fights. (It seemed like Adri and Yule attracted conflict.)

“So…Julie’s birthday is coming up,” Ben said.

The use of the nickname made him pay attention. _Julie._ He bet Juliet hated that. It was the nickname he had used for her his whole life. He bet that every time Ben called her that, she flinched. Goodness, he was ruining everything just based on a nickname. He was good at things like that, it seemed.

 _Stop thinking that,_ he reprimanded himself. _It’s been a good day._

“Yeah. She’s free, by the way. Fred and I aren’t going to take you and her out since the Drive-In closed down,” he explained. Ariel nodded, “Yeah, well,” she began, before Ben cut in excitedly.

“Well, it’s her sixteenth,” he started.

“Ah yes, the infamous sweet sixteen,” he chuckled. He turned around and began filling out the log-out sheet. 12 hours. That was $240. In one day! He wanted to pat himself on the back.

“Well, we were having a party at Ariel’s…” he said.

“Party? Julie doesn’t seem to be one for parties,” he turned to face the children.

“No, no, we know. It’s going to be super low-key,” Ariel assured.

“Yeah, just Ariel, me, Vermont, Katrina and Josephine,” Ben listed.

“Wait. You mean, the Lodge kid and the Sherriff’s daughter? And a Serpent?!” he asked incredulously.

Ariel tried not to laugh at the hypocrisy and then reminded herself to be nicer. _Well,_ she thought rudely. _Make that two Serpents, Mr Jones._

“Well, we were hoping you could come too,” Ben said abashedly.

“No, no,” he backtracked, vehemently denying the invitation. “Oh, heavens, no,” he said, shaking his head.

“Why not? Don’t you want to be there?” Ariel asked, perhaps a little too sharply.

“Oh, kid,” he said, looking at Ariel. “I see the way you look at me. You don’t like Serpents. And you want _two_ at your party?” he asked.

“It’s not her party,” Ben said softly. “It’s Juliet’s. And she would want you to be there, for her,” Ben said.

“No, no, she would not,” he said, smiling. “I make everything worse. Bad things will happen if I’m there,” he said.

“Come on, Mr Jones,” Ben insisted. “We could invite the whole town and she would only ask if you were there,” Ben stated.

“She has you guys now. She doesn’t need me anymore,” he said.

“That’s bullshit,” Ben snapped. He looked at the Cooper boy in surprise. _Alice’s son? Swearing?_ Perhaps he was the same as Alice after all. Alice could swear like a sailor, but Hal hated that, he remembered.

“Okay, okay, fine,” he conceded. “I’ll come. But if anything goes wrong, it’ll be on you,” he said. Ben smiled.

He opened the trailer door, turning the lights off. “You’re just like your mother, aren’t you?” he asked.

Ben smiled, not quite knowing what he meant.

~

**_Study with me at Pop’s? We could have lunch :)_ ** **_\- V_ **

The text pinged at Chester’s desk. _Don’t check it, don’t check it,_ Chester urged himself. _Finish this question,_ but alas, his hand wandered over to his phone anyway.

He smiled. Ever since that breakfast at Pop’s, Vermont had been requesting to eat and study with him almost every day. It felt good to see that someone was looking out for him, especially since Janessa wasn’t here anymore.

**_Be there in fifteen. – C_ **

Still smiling, he put everything in his bag and walked down the hallway. His parents weren’t home, again. There were with Sherriff Keller, going through the “finer points of Janessa’s case”. With no new leads, it seemed that the Riverdale PD was failing. His parents had threatened to involve the FBI. A murderer was on the loose, after all.

Shaking the thoughts of Janessa out of his head, he got into his car and drove off to Pop’s.

Seeing Vermont’s profile inside Pop’s, Chester’s speed quickened. He really enjoyed spending time with Vermont, and it didn’t feel like he was just there to boost a social standing like his previous minions were. Vermont was a friend, a true friend (or at least that’s what he seemed).

He entered Pop’s, setting his backpack down and greeting his friend, who smiled at him. Chester noticed there was something off about his smile.

“Everything okay, V?”

He nodded faux-cheerily. “Of course, recently I helped my criminal father escape his prison sentence,” he said.

Chester nodded. “Well, there wasn’t exactly anything you could do. Repercussions, remember?”

“I’m sixteen, Chester. And even then some words on a paper scare me,” Vermont said.

“Forget about it. It’s over,” Chester said.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re probably right,” Vermont agreed. “Besides,” he perked up. “Good things are happening next week,” Vermont said.

“Oh, yeah, what?” Chester asked.

Vermont said unthinkingly, “Juliet’s birthday party is next week, duh!” And then horror dawned on his face. He felt like he had just ruined everything. Juliet would never want Chester to show up at her party. Hell, she didn’t even want a party in the first place. And if he showed up, she would probably burst a vein.

Chester laughed. “Oh, it’s her sweet sixteen?” he asked.

Vermont nodded, scared at what will happen then. Chester saw the fear in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the party’s perfect but ensuring my absence,” he joked.

“I’m sorry,” Vermont said.

“You don’t have to be,” Chester reassured. “I don’t have anything against her, so I’m not going to ruin anything,” he smiled.

Vermont smiled. “You know, Chester,” he said, between mouthfuls of salad. “You’re actually a good person.”

Chester laughed. “Oh, you do crack good jokes, Lodge,” he said.

Vermont smiled, not quite agreeing with the joke.

~

Later, at night, Chester sat down inside the walk-in closet that the two of them had owned. Janessa’s half had always been messy, and he had asked her to clean it up and make it neater so many time, and she had listened none of those times. They were completely opposite in everything. And yet, they had loved each other so much.

He scanned her side of the closet. So many clothes, some of them with tags still attached. Any other reasonable person who have sold those expensive clothes and earned some big bucks, except they still smelled like her perfume, combined with some of the mustiness of the closet. He began to take out her shoes one by one. She loved ankle boots. She had so many of them. And some combat boots too. A couple of Jimmy Choo pairs here and there, dainty heels she only ever wore to Blossom family gatherings.

They had always been reluctant to go to these gatherings. Each Blossom was the same. Manipulative, empty of love, Machiavellian to a whole new level. And sure, Chester and she had been like that too. (Maybe genetics was real.)

He smiled at one pair of boots he had bought her on her fourteenth birthday. He had saved up for almost an entire year, because the pair was so expensive, and he knew his parents would never get Janessa something she really wanted.

He still remembered Janessa’s fourteenth. He had been thirteen (they were twins, sure, but Irish twins) and he had been selling his toys and baseball cards for the boots. And when his parents saw the expensive gift, they checked and rechecked their account to no avail, finally having to concede that their lesser son was not actually a thief.

Oh God, it had given him so much satisfaction to see the look on their faces when they realized $300 was not missing from any of their accounts.

He tripped on the memory lane and returned to the present, seeing a box there that hadn’t been before. He recognized the wood, it was their Nana Rose’s favourite. A gift, perhaps, from a grandmother to her granddaughter. He opened the chest gingerly, a little dust floating from the action.

It was nothing like what he had expected it to be.

There was so much paper in the box. _Love letters?_ He thought. _Fro_ _m Parker?_

No, it seemed. The paper wasn’t in sheets. It was in slips. His eyes ran over the slips. Shocking, scalding words.

_Did you miss me, little Blossom? – J_

_You stole everything from me, and now it’s my turn. – J_

_Janie, Janie._

_Yes papa?_

_Drinking maple?_

_No papa!_

_Telling lies?_

_No papa!_

_Open your mouth! Ha ha ha! – J_

_You might win this round, but this game belongs to me. – J _

 

_ Running _ _from Riverdale doesn’t mean running from me. – J_

 

Five notes. Each from this mysterious, threatening J. The handwriting was small, almost printed, but it was in ink. It slanted to the right, the letters almost falling over each other.

Chester breathing became more ragged. He stumbled out of the closet. Blackmail. Someone had been blackmailing Janessa since…who knew? His being filled up with undiluted rage. While he couldn’t recognize the handwriting, he knew the list of suspects was short. Hell, it was only one family long. Everyone loved Janessa. No one had any enmity with Janessa, enough to blackmail her and to eventually shoot her between the eyes.

Only one J would have any animosity towards Janessa.

Juliet.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the previously promised plot twist comes into play!   
> Would I really make Juliet Jones the villain? 
> 
> Why yes, yes I would! 
> 
> [Comments and kudos are well-loved!]


	20. (Bitter)Sweet Sixteen

"Wait, are you telling me that there isn't going to be an adult chaperone at this thing?" Alice asked, worried.

"Come on mom, it is  _Juliet's_ birthday party. She's already an adult chaperone," Ben joked.

"But still," Alice whined.

"Mom, come on. You know nothing can happen in a party with Ariel, Vermont, Kat and her girlfriend and me. We're like...the least of the partiers," he said.

"I still don't feel comfortable that there won't be an adult there," Alice commented.

"Well," Ben said, remembering. "Juliet's dad is going to be there," he informed. "Hopefully," he added.

"Oh. Okay."

"Well, I'm going to be right here, next to Ariel's house, so if anything goes amiss," Alice ensured.

"Yes mum," Ben groaned.

~

Ariel and Juliet walked back home, Ariel laughing at something Juliet had just said.

"It wasn't a joke!" Juliet said, laughing as well.

When they finally approached the door, Ariel turned to Juliet. "Jules, I just want to say, happy birthday," she said warmly.

Juliet smiled. "I'm sorry we couldn't celebrate like we used to since the Drive-In closed down," Ariel said, trying her best not to crack her façade.

"It's not a problem, Ari. I don't care much for birthdays anyways. I'm just glad I spent the day with you," she smiled.

Ariel stopped in front of the door, knocking once. People shuffled silently inside the house, hiding from view. Then she turned to Juliet.

"You know, what, go inside with me and have dinner. And we can catch a movie or something!" she said.

Juliet smiled. "Actually...that sounds amazing," Juliet beamed.

Fred swung the door open, and Juliet and Ariel walked in.

And all hell broke loose.  _Happy Birthday!_ the crowd inside cheered, basically jolting Juliet into awareness.

Well, any normal person wouldn't call it a crowd. But this was a huge crowd. How many people were even in there? Six? Seven? That was wild. Juliet tried her best to smile.

"Th-thanks you guys," he said. Noticing Ben wasn't present, she asked. "Where's Ben?"

Ben, right on cue, walked out with the cake in his hand, followed by the in-house bakers, Kat and Vermont. Kat still had icing in her hair, and was that flour on Vermont's nose?

Ben sang the birthday song to Juliet in a clear, lilting tone, higher than she would have expected him to sing. The voice rang throughout the room, and not once did he break eye contact with her. It made her blush.

"That was positively haunting, Ben," she whispered.

He laughed, and then kissed Juliet's cheek. It became even redder, earning some coos from Kat and Vermont.

They set the cake on the kitchen island and she cut the cake, watching the dark chocolate lava ooze from the vanilla exterior when she did.

"Graphic," she commented sarcastically.

Ben smiled, heat rising to his cheeks, turning them crimson.

After the cake was cut, the brouhaha died down as music started playing and Kat and Vermont went dancing on the makeshift dance floor they had created. Ben joined them, and they swayed and laughed. Juliet went into the kitchen and stood there. She wanted to be happy, she wanted to be grateful. And she was, to a certain extent. But she would still rather have the movie and dinner with Ariel.

But she kept quiet, knowing that it was not nice to complain. It was a nice party.

There was a knock on the door, to which Ariel responded. Juliet heard the snarky voice all the way from the kitchen.

"Did you really think you have a party without inviting moi?"

~

Vermont stared at the new arrival, aghast. Chester Blossom and his posse had arrived, full-fledged in their glitz and glamour. Despite specifically mentioning to him that he would not ruin this for them.

"Let's get this party started!" Rachel Mantle said, pulling out bottles of alcoholic drink, and a pack of red cups. She headed over to the punch bowl, poured the red into it, the colour darker now.

Juliet slumped against the kitchen cabinet. Of course. The world had a cruel way. She took a slice of her own cake, ignoring the chocolate oozing on her hands, and ate it, her face sombre. Washing her hands in the sink, she drank a glass of water, delaying her entrance into the main hall as much as possible.

When she finally shuffled out, Chester's eyes positively glowed when they landed on her.

"Ah! The one who I'm here for, my birthday girl!" Chester said, his smirk menacing.

"Who the hell invited you, Chester?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"You're going to regret you didn't, you jarring onion-eyed miscreant!" he laughed.

"What do you want?" Ben asked, coming to Juliet's side. Surprisingly (and hurtfully), Juliet stiffened against Ben's arm on her shoulders.

"Oh shush, little Benjamin, let's play a little game. How does twenty questions sound, budget Capulet?" he asked Juliet, who just stared at him sullenly.

Vermont stared at the chaos from one side of the room but when he stood up to send Chester out, Kat stopped him.

"Question 1: How far are you on your little pesky investigation on my sister's murder? You and the Scooby gang?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "We put a pause on that. You were there the last time we did anything about it," he said.

"Don't steal my birthday girls' spotlight, you frothy shard-borne gudgeon," Chester spat in Ben's direction, not taking his eyes off of Juliet.

"Question 2: How much of the evidence did you fake, you venomous vassal?" he snarled.

Juliet's eyes turned to slits. "None of it. Why would I fake the evidence to the mystery I was trying to solve?"

Chester rolled his eyes. "Oh save the act, Capulet. Question 3: From where did you learn how to blackmail someone anonymously?"

"What?" Vermont asked from across the room. Juliet echoed him.

Ben took a deep breath and exhaled. "Whatever messages you've been getting, Chester, those were not my girlfriend," he said calmly.

"Oh don't worry, dearest paunchy coxcomb, it's not me," he said.

"Then who?" Juliet asked curiously.

Chester growled, the sound animalistic. "You...you...you artless boil-brained charlatan!"

Kat struggled not to laugh. Chester's insults were a masterpiece. Juliet raised her eyebrows. "Whatever you're talking about, I didn't do it. So why don't you just tell me what messages you've been getting."

"Question 5: Did you know, Juliet Jones, that jealousy is a motive for murder?"

"Chester, you need to calm down," Vermont stood up, making his way to his friend. Ben tried not to feel betrayed.  _He's doing it to diffuse the situation,_ Ben reminded himself.

"No! No calming down! Enough!" Chester yelled, like a little child.

"You need to tell me what this thing Juliet is so guilty of is," Ben said nonchalantly.

"Sure, fake Montague. I'll tell you," Chester smiled menacingly. "Blackmail and murder, and murder and blackmail."

"Question 6: Sound familiar, Jones?"

Juliet blinked, clueless. "No. None at all, Blossom," she said, a little hostility creeping into her voice.

"Ah, young citizens of Riverdale, let me tell you a story. Juliet Jones is the bullied girl, from the wrong side of the tracks. Her biggest bully? My dearest, loved sister, Janessa. Janessa had it all. Riches, brains, clothes and plenty of people to worship her. And what did Juliet have? A criminal father," Chester paused for Juliet's reaction, which she refused to give.

"A broken family, and one big heart brimming with jealousy. So she takes her father's gun, and she goes for a walk on July 4th, after her best friend forever, Ariel, ditched her for a little ominous tete-a-tete with a certain  _music teacher._ Anger and jealousy," he pauses again.

"What a dangerous mix."

"So imagine her glee, her absolute murderous  _joy,_ when she finds that Janessa is by the rocks, vulnerable and shaken. So here's question 7: the trigger was all too easy to pull, wasn't it?" he asked Juliet, staring straight into her blank eyes.

Ben seethed. "Get out, Chester," he said slowly, anger oozing from his cracked voice.

"Not until I get her confession," Chester said joyfully, cocking his head, staring at Juliet even more.

Vermont put a hand on Chester's shoulder. "Chester, come on, you need to leave."

Chester, horrified at the betrayal of his friend, shook his hand off. "I don't  _care_ that it's your birthday, you fawning mutt. You killed my sister. And you're going to jail."

"Leave, you vain maggot-pie," Kat yelled from the other end of the room, earning nothing but Chester ignoring her. Josephine, sitting next to Kat, patted Kat's shoulder, shaking her head.  _Don't poke the bear that's already poked._

"Question 8: Do you want me to leave, Juliet?" Juliet felt fear run down her spine as she heard her name run from his lips. The wish for vengeance evident in every syllable.

"Because if I leave, the next person I'm visiting is our lovely Katrina's father," Chester informed.

"I didn't kill your sister, Chester," Juliet pleaded. "You have to believe me."

"Even if you didn't kill her, which you did, you did make her want to leave Riverdale. That's enough to get you at least a lifetime within bars. I mean you're 16. A legal adult now," he raised his eyebrows at the cake.

"Show us the notes," Vermont requested. He glanced sideways at Vermont. "Fine," he said.

He took out the little slips of paper from his wallet, laying them on the table.

"This is not even my handwriting," Juliet justified.

"Handwritings change. Any test taken from the school before this summer can prove this. Just face it, you impostor. Your borrowed time ran out," he smiled.

Ariel, watching from the staircase, said, "Chester, Juliet might have gotten bullied, but she would never kill anyone for it. And she didn't hurt your sister in  _any_ way."

"Question 9: Does it irk you, Miss Southside Rat? That if Ariel had just been there for you that day, you wouldn't have the taint of murder damaging your conscience? Oh, hell, here's another one. Question 10: Did it even damage it? I mean, your dad basically rules the Serpents, right? How much conscience do you people have?"

Juliet sighed. "This is circumstantial evidence, and none of it actually points to  _me._ Stop making the dark brooding girl with no friends the scapegoat, Chester," she spat.

"Question 11: Will you remember to tell me how it feels when the cuffs are on your wrist?" he smirked.

Vermont pulled Chester back, murmuring, "Chester, she didn't do it, you need to go."

"Oh of course," he spat. "You're obviously going to side with her. Criminal kids. Question 12: They're all the same, aren't they? I've read the news, Lodge. Question 13: How's Quentin Lee doing?"

Vermont backed away from Chester slightly, dismayed.  _This wasn't the real him._

"Question 14: Isn't there another Jones in this town, Juliet? Someone who did have the conscience to do this?"

"No," she snarled flatly.

"Daddy dearest. I wonder if the gun is still in that closet of yours," the redheaded menace scowled.

"Such a high-profile crime. I don't think you would even have the guts to take out the heir of the Blossom Maple company," Chester was wondering out loud now.

"Hm...maybe I was going about this wrong. A dad-daughter duo. You did the notes, and he pulled the trigger. Question 15: Isn't it all too fitting, Julie? That the king of the Southside killed the prince of the Northside?"

And Ben lunged for Chester. It was way too fast, Vermont couldn't do anything about it. One moment Chester was smirking, and the next moment he was on the floor, nose bloody.

"Get out, Chester, get out before I kill you," Ben snapped, standing with his knuckles red, one bleeding slightly. Chester just laughed. "Kill me all you want," he laughed.

Juliet backed away from the disaster that was her birthday, and she heard the door slam shut, looking out, she saw the figure of her father walk hurriedly away from her party.  _No!_ she yelled in her head, going after him. She heard Chester's last words, though.

"Here's question 16, princess! When will you give me the credit for making this sixteen the sweetest?"

~

"Dad, dad, dad, wait, please," Juliet begged.

Mr. Jones couldn't resist his daughter's voice. He turned around. She was a little slimmer than the last time she saw him. Was she eating? He was about to ask when she hugged him.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," she whispered.

"It's...I didn't hear much at all, kiddo. Just saw him say...that...and that boy punching him. Sorry I took off," he apologized.

"I don't blame you, dad," Juliet laughed, pulling away.

He handed her a box. "Happy sixteenth, Julie. I'm sorry it ended up being this way," he said.  _You and your reputation. You find a way to ruin everything, even your daughter,_ Mr Jones scolded himself.

"It's perfect," Juliet said, smiling at the little box. She opened it and took out the locket inside. "Oh, dad," she smiled. Opening it, she saw a picture of her mother and brother.

"You're...you're not in it," Juliet stated emptily.

"Didn't think you'd want my face everywhere you went," he joked.

"Thank you," Juliet smiled.

"Listen, kid. This is a reminder, okay? If...something...bad...happens to me, I need you to know you have a family that isn't me, alright?"

"Dad...did you...did you hurt..." she struggled to ask.

"No. I didn't. But I've done bad things, things that will probably end me up in jail. So you need to know where to go if that happens. I'm not letting those social services scum take you. You have a mother, and a brother, alright? You have a family," he insisted. The urgent tone of her voice scared her.  _Was...was something going to happen?_

"Dad..." she tried to interrupt his doomsday thinking.

"And it looks like you've got a family in that house, too," Mr Jones gestured to Ariel's house.

Juliet struggled to not roll her eyes. "I...not anymore, I don't think so, dad," she laughed derisively.

Mr Jones held his daughter's shoulders, leaning down to look into his daughter's eyes. "Do. Not. Give. Up. On. Those. Friends. They need you as much as you need them," he said. Juliet nodded, completely scared by now. The last time he had given her such advice, her mother and Jack had left them all alone.

Her father smiled, and then turned and walked away. "Dad, please stay," she said, not sure what she was exactly referring to.

She was too soft to be heard. (Again.)

~


	21. Post-Scriptum

Chester got up, wiping the blood from his nose. Rachel attended to him, clearly vying for some kind of "action". "You really showed that skank," she laughed. Chester smirked. And he walked right of that house, leaving a scowling Rachel behind. He wondered if Sherriff Keller was free.

Juliet, meanwhile, sat inside Ariel's garage with Vegas, wondering how everything had gone to hell so fast.

Ben walked in, and suddenly, Juliet had never been so angry. Ben had known. He had  _known._ And still, he had done this.

"Don't talk to me," Juliet warned.

"Julie, I'm so sorry about Chester," Ben said.

"Chester," she challenged, raising her eyebrows. "Is that all you're sorry about?"

Ben looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"Those people? Inside that house? None of them are my friends except for you and Ariel. Not even Kat, not even Vermont. I have two friends and that is only enough to have a "party" that is actually just a friendly dinner with a movie or two. And that would have been  _enough,_ " Juliet shouted, her voice cracking at the last word.

"So here's...here's question seventeen, Ben. What am I to you? Your project?" she asked.

"You're..." Ben leaned in to cup Juliet's face, hurt flashing across his face when she moved back, arms folded. "You're my girlfriend, not a project!"

"Really?" Juliet asked, venom dripping. "How long? How long, Ben, before you leave? Question eighteen: Will it be before Ariel tells you she wants you or after?"

Ben's skin crumpled into a tapestry of pain. "Juliet...I just wanted you to have a nice birthday," Ben explained.

"And all I got was a reality check," Juliet spat. "You're just a borrowed boyfriend, I'm living on borrowed "happiness" and I don't get nice things," she snarled.

She walked past Ben and stopped at the door of the garage. "I guess I'm not getting you, either," she said softly, the pain finally unleashed.

And before Ben could reach out to her, to make amends, she opened the door and left.

~

Ben rushed out to follow Juliet but instead, his mother's voice called out from Ariel's house. "Come in and help clean up, Benedict Cooper!"

He stopped, sighed, watching Juliet's rushing figure. He then turned to the house to help clean-up the ruins of the short-lived party.

Ariel and Ben cleaned up the kitchen, cutting slices of cake to store it in a box in the freezer. "She said I'm a borrowed boyfriend," Ben updated.

"From whom?"

"From...you."

"What? Ben, I've never felt about you...like that," Ariel said awkwardly.

"I know! But Juliet..."

"She knows. She's just...frazzled right now. She didn't mean any of that," Ariel reassured.

"Some people lie when they are really angry. Some people say all the truths they were hiding," Ben said, deadpan.

Ariel gulped. "She's probably at Pop's."

Ben sighed. "Yeah, probably."

~

Vermont and Ariel sat on her couch and said bye to Ben, who was leaving for Pop's to look for Juliet. Vermont sighed.

"I'm so tired. Like my face is sagging," Vermont laughed.

Ariel giggled. "Honestly, same," she agreed.

They both sat in a comfortable silence.

"Do you think Juliet's going to be okay?" Ariel asked.

"What?" he asked. He didn't think about Juliet at all, to be very honest. He didn't really think of her as a friend. 

"Yeah, I think...sure. I think its Ben we should be worried about," he stated.

"I'm tired," Ariel said. Vermont nodded.

"Let's do something fun," Ariel sat up, excited.

Vermont raised his eyes. "Hey, follow me," Ariel said. Vermont stood up, rubbing his eyes, following Ariel's footsteps.

They were at the kitchen sink, and Ariel asked him to wait. She brought a bag of things from her room upstairs, filled to the brim with beauty products.

"Let's invigorate our faces," she said excitedly.

"I have two masks, two face washes, one of which is a scrub, and of course," she grinned, turning to her kitchen cabinet. "Bicarbonate of soda," she winked.

Vermont smiled. "Sure," he laughed. "Let's get me beautified!"

She laughed. "Okay, first we wash our faces with water and this anti-blackhead scrub," she instructed. They rinsed their faces, splashing some of the water on each other.

"Hey!" she protested playfully.

Taking out the cleansing lotion, Ariel squeezed it onto a cotton ball, passing it to Vermont. "Rub it across your face," she instructed, before preparing a cotton ball for herself. Vermont did as told, and caught glimpses of the quickly greying cotton.

"I can't believe all that shit was on my face," Vermont said in awe.

"You people are disgusting," Ariel grunted. Vermont smiled.

After washing the remnants of the lotion off of their faces, Ariel started squeezing out some of the exfoliating scrub, which they then applied onto their faces.

"I can get why girls do this so much. I think I hear the angels sing," Vermont joked. Ariel laughed, rubbing circles on her cheeks.

Washing their faces at the sink, Ariel took out another face mask and explained what it was. "We have to put this on our face for twenty minutes. And don't freak out," she added as an afterthought.

Vermont shrugged, applying the mask onto his face. He'd seen his mother do these before. They were fine.

Not this one.

His face started bubbling, an absurd tickling sensation covered his senses. He looked at his face, courtesy of his front-facing phone camera. His face was...a cloud. A really ugly golem cloud. Vermont wanted to scream. "You've made me ugly," he pouted.

"To get to heaven, one must war through purgatory," Ariel winked.

"Oh please, Riverdale is a permanent purgatory," Vermont joked seriously. Ariel laughed.

They were completely hideous now. "God, beauty is ugly," Vermont said, the epiphany flashing across his face.

Ariel shook her head, washing the bubble mask off. "And now, for the final mask. The one for absolute reincarnations of the face," Ariel declared dramatically. She took out the tube, and immediately Vermont shook his head.

"I'm not going to put something that has "hell-pore" in the title, on my face," he backed away.

Ariel cackled faux-evilly. "Come on, young lad. Show me your bravery!"

He turned his eyes into slits. "The things I do for you, Andrews," he said. "Oh, just...give me that," he snapped, snatching the tube and applying the dark mask onto his face.

"It's a charcoal deep cleansing mask. Peel-off after 20 mins. And it's extremely painful. But if I can, then you can, mister," she wagged a finger at him.

"You said this would be relaxing," Vermont whined.

"Patience, golem," Ariel ordered, carefully taking some of the mask herself and applying it to her face. Vermont felt his face stiffer and stiffer over the 20 minutes.

"Hell-pore time," Ariel whispered maniacally.

"Girls are masochistic," Vermont said, his eyes wide.

Ariel winked, and then she yanked. The black layer peeled off of her face and the redhead did not even flinch, grinning at Vermont when all of it came off. Her face's pallor almost matching her hair, she raised her eyebrows, challenging Vermont to do the same.

It really was a "hell-pore" mask. Vermont yanked, and at one point, he probably felt a tear fall down his cheek.

"This is a nightmare," he mumbled at some point of The Yanking.

But after The Yanking, he felt good. His face felt fresh, he felt ready to take on the world, except it was 11 pm at night and he should probably have gone home.

"I get why girls do this," Vermont admitted.

Ariel smiled.

And she looked really pretty when smiling, and her hair looked really dark in the dim kitchen, and it was just them in the whole house, and she looked so beautiful especially without any makeup. And he felt himself leaning in, in, in,

And she felt herself admiring his freckles, the boyish charm shining on his face. He looked really young and less troubled, different than usual. His curly hair was a little haphazard, and there was a stray curl on his forehead like a third eye on his forehead, and she wanted to sweep it away. And she felt herself leaning in, in, in,

Melded.

~


	22. The Yanking of the Band-Aid

Ben rushed into Pop’s, quite out of breath. Juliet was there, just like he knew she would be. She was sitting in front of an untouched milkshake, her hand floating above the cherry.

“Julie,” he sighed, rushing to the booth.

She looked up, not even bothering to say anything back. He sat in the booth, wondering who was going to talk first.

“I’m sorry for how I overreacted,” Juliet finally said. Ben looked up, into her eyes. “But I’m not sorry for saying those things. Because they’re true,” he said.

“They’re not,” Ben says simply.

“Are so,” Juliet replies.

“I liked Ariel. Liked. Past tense. I don’t anymore. I’m not going to deny that I didn’t at some point. I was infatuated. You could ask Kat,” Ben grinned. Juliet put on a small smile.

“Ariel doesn’t like me, at all,” Ben said.

“You don’t know that for sure,” Juliet pointed out.

“Sure, I don’t, but there’s an 87 percent chance she doesn’t,” he said.

“That’s oddly specific,” Juliet raised her eyebrow.

Ben shrugged. “And…and you’re not my damn project,” he insisted.

Juliet nodded, not uttering a word.

“Julie?” he asked, trying to look at her.

She sipped her milkshake, the white line in her straw rising agonizingly slow.

“You need to…say something,” Ben prompted.

“I’m…tired,” Juliet said softly. “I’m tired of grabbing all the hope I’ve been getting and tired of secretly waiting for it to crash and burn in front of me,” she confessed.

“It’s not going to crash and burn,” Ben insisted.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Juliet said, bitterness reluctantly creeping into her voice. “Inside your big house with your reasonably affluent parents and your perfect American Dream life, it’s easy to say that it’s not going to crash and burn,” she said softly, oddly calm.

Ben swallowed the sudden anger at being completely misunderstood.

“You _know_ that’s not true,” Ben urged. Juliet refused to meet his eyes, instead, sipping her milkshake staring at the brown cup. The epiphany that hits Ben hits him hard and he has to almost take a breath to recover from it.

_She’s trying to push you away by antagonizing you._

_Of course, she knows that’s not true._

“You know that my brother has actively chosen to live away from his family, several times. And you know that this breaks my parents apart, to the point that I think my mother’s going to kick my father out of the house,” Ben stopped. She didn’t know that.

Juliet blinked. She didn’t know that. And it was oddly reminiscent of her own mother packing up and taking her little brother and leaving two years ago.

“And you know that sometimes I feel like I’m constantly drowning, so I do…things…to myself to feel like that a little less,” he said softly.

Juliet froze. What was Ben doing?

“You don’t have to tell me,” Juliet said.

“I know. But I want to,” he said.

“Okay,” Juliet breathed. “Wait,” she paused.

“Hey Pop’s?” she asked. “Can you get us two chicken burgers and fries?”

Ben raised his eyebrows. “It’s for my personal sanity,” she stated. He allowed himself a small smile.

“I do it because…because I need to be in control of something once in a while. And I can’t hurt anything else except for me, because at least I can control myself. And I know it’s not very healthy…but that’s. That’s how it is,” Ben shrugs.

Juliet gulps, chewing a big part of her burger. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I’m sorry for saying all that. I don’t know why I did,” she admitted.

Ben shakes his head dismissively. “It’s okay,” he smiles, picking up his burger. “This is an amazing burger,” he states.

Juliet nods, smiling. They chew for a little while in comfortable silence. “I get what you’re talking about,” Juliet said. “About not having control.”

“And I don’t know any advice that would work. But I want you to know I do think you should try and stop. And I’ll be here,” she said.

Ben smiled. “I know.”

Juliet smiled back, and held Ben’s hand, on the table. It was okay. They were okay.

~

Vermont pulled away, smiling. Ariel smiled back.

“I should go home,” Vermont stated, a little awkwardly.

Ariel couldn’t stop smiling. “We should do that again sometime,” she suggested.

Vermont laughed, taking his car keys and leaving.

“Yeah,” he called out.

“We should.”

~

Ben woke up, the sunlight filtering through the windows. He smiled. It was going to be a good day. He was going to study with Juliet, and then he was going to watch a movie on Netflix. It was going to be, as the young people (him) say nowadays, “lit”.

Ben washed up, absurdly happy. He even winked in the mirror. Really. Honest to God, he winked in the mirror, and flirted with himself in it. It was weird, but he was possessed by a cliché 21st century teenager at the moment. It was a good feeling, instead of being trapped inside Holcomb all the time.

Going down the stairs was something of a rude awakening, a shattering of the mist. An interruption in the illusion. His happy disposition bounding down the steps, he first noticed his father, hunched over another figure, running a hand up and down someone’s back.

His mother.

 _No, no, no, no,_ Ben dreaded. It was weird, because he didn’t know what he was dreading.

Suddenly, he noticed someone was missing. He went back up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He burst into Parker’s room, and even though everything was in place, he knew.

He was really gone.

Ben flopped like a lifeless skeleton onto Parker’s bed. It was the sterile yet flowery scent of detergent, as if Parker was never there in the first place.

 _He changed the sheets before he left,_ Ben registered.

Ben tried to cry, but nothing came out. It was absurd to be shocked about a disaster you were warned about. Like ignoring a hurricane warning and freaking out when you realize it damaged your property.

Ben went back to his room, furiously texting his brother. He sent about thirty text messages, and no reply. Like he just disappeared.

He tried calling Chester, but to no avail.

He heard a crash downstairs, his mother screaming. His father screaming back, and Ben’s face froze in fear. This had happened before, when Parker had told his parents he was with Janessa.

Ben got into his room, packed his bag, and snuck out of the house through his window, ignoring the multiple replies ping in his pocket.

Juliet. He needed to go to Juliet.

~

Vermont woke up in his bed, happy. He took a look at his phone, his social media. Pictures from last night’s short-lived party. His face reddened at the memory of his kiss with Ariel. He really liked her. Like, an italicized _really._ Maybe even a bolded **really.** Maybe an italic bolded **_really._**

He texted her.

**_My face feels like heaven. Don’t know if it’s you or your charcoal hell-pore. – V_ **

Ariel’s reply pinged back.

**_We aim to please, Mr. Lodge. – A_ **

Vermont raised his eyebrow, smirking.

**_Well, consider your aim accomplished. – V (PS – Where do I get your whole skincare kit?)_ **

Grinning like a slaphappy idiot, he stumbled to his bathroom, washing up. Riverdale had been, quoting a wise man, a “purgatory”. This was a nice turn of events. A positive turn of events.

Going down, he ate his breakfast. His mother came out, frowning a little.

“Why were you out so late last night?” Hermione asked.

“Juliet’s birthday party last night, mom,” he reminded.

“So late?” she asked.

He shrugged.

“Was Ariel there?” she asked.

He looked up in surprise at the oddly specific name. “Yeah, obviously,” he said.

She raised her eyebrows in a wordless question.

“What?” he asked defensively.

“Nothing,” Hermione shrugged. “I needed to talk to you,” she stated.

“Your father is going to come home soon,” Hermione started. _Oh God. Perfect. Even in his absence Hiram Lodge can ruin a perfectly good day,_ Vermont thought spitefully.

“How soon?” he asked.

“In a couple of months, maybe three. Four,” Hermione shrugged.

Vermont nodded. “Okay. So?” he asked.

“So? So no more of this going out late spending time with girls, no more fancy alcoholic breakfasts, no more toying with the rules and being like…this,” Hermione gestured at his mimosa.

“You make it sound like I’m going to a strip club. I went to a friend’s birthday party. Ben was there, Chester was there. Kevin was there, there were non-girls there. And this,” he said, gesturing to his mimosa, “…you taught me how to make this!”

Hermione sighed. “I’m just saying. Once your father gets here, things will be…different,” Hermione chose her words carefully.

Vermont failed at keeping the rage in check. He spat coldly, “Yeah, and whose fault is that?” He poured his unfinished mimosa down the sink and dumped his bagel. His appetite had fled.

“Stop throwing a tantrum!” Hermione yelled.

“Vermont Enrique Lodge! See, this is what I mean! I might be okay with you acting like you’re 25 and not sixteen, but your father will not be like me. You know how he is and since you seem to have forgotten that, you jolly well better toe the line and follow the rules!”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I have such good role models for toeing the line. A criminal and his right-hand man,” he laughed.

Hermione’s eyes went cold. “Listen, you will follow the rules. I don’t want to hear a single rude, disrespectful retort come from your mouth. Is that clear?”

Vermont’s eyes went a little wide before he struggled to regain his composure.

“Sure,” he gave in. It was way too clear.

_Repercussions._

~

Chester sat down in a seat and decided to check his phone for notifications. **_23 messages from Benjamin dearest_** ¸ **_2 missed calls from Benjamin dearest._**

Chester suppressed a laugh. Parker’s arrival must have stirred the Coopers more than he thought. Grinning with pure malice, he called Ben back.

“Chester, you –” Ben began.

“Save it, you ghoulish foot-licker,” Chester insulted.

“That’s…he’s my brother, Chester, please,” Ben begged.

Chester was taken aback. Ben was taking the begging route. “You know, it’s really tiring watching you complain to me about something that was essentially your brother’s decision,” he pointed out.

The other end was silent. “Truth is deafening, Benjamin, you should speak. Isn’t it true? I offered him, sure, for purely “selfish” reasons, but I didn’t seduce him into doing it. And if my memory is accurate, he didn’t even need any kind of convincing, right, you saucy flat-dragon?”

The other end was, once again, silent. The truth was often the best leverage to hold over someone, to cripple them forever. Watching it play out live was a pure kind of ecstasy. The kind best taken in dosages.

“Is my favorite birthday girl there?” he asked. He might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Juliet’s voice said, “What the hell do you want, Chester?”

“Question seventeen, darling. Can you guess where I am?” he chuckled. The unadulterated rage against Juliet was at the same time overwhelming and amazing.

“No, obviously, I’m not psychic, you tottering cockroach,” she snapped. Chester laughed. He felt like himself again, truly.

“I’m at the police station,” Chester taunted in a sing-song manner.

“What?” Ben’s voice suddenly interrupted.

“In fact, mom and dad are here too. We told Parker to enjoy himself some alone time at Thornhill, enjoy a cup of tea with maple syrup with Nana Rose. We told him we were running errands.” Chester paused, letting the Stygian fury overtake him, mince his words into an ugly concoction of detesting and despising. “You’re done for, princess,” he sneered.  

“You think I’m scared of you? That’s not even my handwriting. You won’t be able to pin it on me for long,” Juliet snapped.

Chester sighed comically. “What do you think I am, an amateur? Why would I put _you_ in jail? You’d probably take it and enjoy the disgusting prison food, you gluttonous whey-face.” Chester laughed.

“Oh no, no, no. Sherriff Keller isn’t just looking at you. You might be a foolish blackmailing oaf, but you’re not capable of killing someone,” Chester stated.

“Even I know that.”

“I’m going to let Sherriff Keller do whatever the hell he wants with those notes. I don’t care. I have my eyes on you, Juliet Jones,” Chester threatened.

“You’re wasting your time,” Ben snapped.

Chester chuckled, and then hung up.

~


	23. Anything You Say

Juliet slumped in her seat at Pop’s. “Ben, I didn’t do it,” Juliet pleaded.

“I know,” Ben sat up, holding Juliet’s hand. “You don’t have to convince me.”

“Janessa wasn’t nice to me, and I didn’t like her at all, but…but that doesn’t mean I would hurt her,” Juliet explained.

“You don’t have to say all this to convince me, Julie. I know,” Ben reassured.

“No, that’s. That’s not what I mean. I wouldn’t do it, and I didn’t. But…my…dad…,” Juliet broke down.

Ben stood up and slid into her side of the booth, holding her close. “He didn’t do anything, okay? He’s innocent,” Ben promised.

Juliet pulled away and said through her tears, “Yesterday…at the party, dad came by and he said…he gave me a locket,” Juliet showed him the locket she was wearing. “It’s got a picture of Jack and my mom in it, but not him,” she showed.

Ben saw the picture. “And…he said…if something happens, you have somewhere to go,” she cracked out between sobs.

“Nothing. Is. Going. To. Happen. To. Him,” Ben said.

“Chester’s gone berserk, and he’s not going to stop until someone gets arrested,” Juliet stated.

“I need to go to him,” Juliet sat up, wiping her tears.

“Okay,” Ben nodded. “Let’s go to him.”

~

Sherriff Keller went to the school, where he ordered Juliet’s locker to be opened up. It didn’t really have much, except for a couple of books.

He searched the entire locker, and he chanced upon a file and a ring-bound notebook. Opening up, it was full of evidence, some of which he himself hadn’t seen before.

“What the…,” he said in horror. Notes, questions, even a mind map was in the book. She even had a list of suspects, written in a haphazard handwriting, quite unlike those notes Janessa had been getting, but he could see that with careful consideration anybody could change this messy handwriting to that curious one.

_Clifford B? Penelope B? Both?_

_Crazy serial killer?_

_~~Serpent job? (?)~~ _ _~~(?)~~ ~~(?)~~  (?) _

_Mayor McCoy? (Motive? Possible feud with Blossoms?)_

_~~Katrina?~~ _ _ <\--  No motive _

His own daughter! He dared to suspect the Sherriff’s daughter! He slammed the book shut, angrily putting it in an evidence bag. He was going to analyze the whole book, and then he was going to arrest her. And finally, the Blossoms would stop pestering him to be a better cop and stop dangling the threat of public humiliation.

 _My own daughter!_ He thought again, enraged.

~

The trailer’s ramshackle façade was surprisingly looming this time around. Juliet heard voices from inside the trailer. She knocked on the door, nervously calling out, “Dad? Dad, it’s Juliet,” she said, looking sideways at Ben for encouragement. He smiled reassuringly.

 _Of course he’s innocent. The locket…_ Juliet thought. _Just a reminder._

FP got out of the trailer, folded his arms and closed the door, coming out. “Hey, kid,” he said. “Ben,” he nodded. Ben smiled, taking a step back.

“I’ll just…um…” he sat leaned against a motorbike, giving the father-daughter duo some space.

“Dad, I need you to be honest with me,” Juliet began.

The father raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

Juliet sighed, a long, tiring one. The fatigue was contagious with this sigh. “I need to…,” she paused. And then she tried again. “I need to know if you’re involved with…the Janessa thing,” Juliet asked.

FP’s expression changed, his strong exterior falling apart. “Of course not. I’m not a good father and I’m not a good person,” FP said, raising his hand when Juliet opened her mouth to object.

“Don’t lie so obviously, Julie. I’m not a good father, or a person, but I wouldn’t kill anyone,” FP insisted.

“Okay,” Juliet accepted.

“You believe me?”

Juliet nodded, smiling. FP smiled back, the joy not quite reaching his ears.

“Hey, hey, kid,” FP held Juliet’s face, leaning down. “You keep him close, you hear? Alice’s son? You keep him close. He’s good for you,” he said. Juliet beamed, looking back at him. He was facing away from the two of them, looking across the field, rubbing his cold hands together. _He is good for me,_ Juliet realized.

“Okay, dad,” Juliet smiled.

“Good,” FP said. After kissing her forehead, he went back inside, joining the chorus of Serpent voices inside. And just before the door clicked shut, Juliet saw one of the members. In fact, the only member.

_Josephine?_

Juliet raised her eyebrow. She shook her head, letting it go. She went to Ben, tapped him on the shoulder, and kissed him, the warmth of the both of them interrupting the cold, the motorcycle between them.

“You believe him?” he asked.

Juliet nodded. “Yeah. He even gave you his personal seal of approval,” she winked.

Ben blushed. “Don’t get too complacent, Benjamin,” Juliet warned jokingly.

“Hey, don’t call me that!” Ben whined as Juliet laughed.

They walked away from the trailer, hand-in-hand. Something else was brewing inside Juliet. Curiosity. Why was Josephine, the young Serpent? In there with him? And another nagging, green-eyed question pestered her more.

_Why wasn’t it her in there?_

~

The next day at school, Juliet stood next to her lockers, chatting with Ariel and Ben. Ariel was just telling them about her father returning home from Chicago after meeting her mother.

“I think…the divorce might be getting finalized,” Ariel admitted in a small voice.

“I’m…sorry,” Ben said.

Juliet, sympathizing, rubbed Ariel’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay,” she promised. Ariel nodded, replying, “I hope so.”

A static voice crackled over the speaker. “Will Juliet Jones please head to the principal’s office?”

Ben, eyebrow raised in confusion, looked up at the speaker. Juliet shrugged. “Got to blast,” she winked, her cheery disposition never waning.

Ariel waved goodbye, watching Juliet leave. “I wonder what it’s about,” she asked.

Ben shrugged, truly having no clue. “My brother’s postal code is the Thornhill now,” Ben updated.

Ariel gasped, “He seriously went through with that?”

Ben nodded, fiddling with his cuticles. “I don’t have the guts to call him and tell him mom kicked dad out of the house,” he said.

Ariel sighed. “Some wicked shit is going on in all of our lives,” she laughed humorlessly.

“We’ll get through it,” Ben said not quite hitting the nonchalant tone he was aiming for.

“We have to,” he ended. Ariel looked away, wondering where Vermont was. Vermont came in with a cup of coffee in hand, his confident gait betrayed by his worried expression.

“Is everything okay?” Ariel asked.

“There’s a police car in the parking lot,” Vermont said, sipping his coffee.

“What? Why?” Ben asked.  

Vermont shrugged.

“Where’s our resident gothic heroine?” he asked.

Ariel informed, “She got called to the principal’s office.”

Before Vermont could ask why, a sudden murmur erupted from the other end of the hallway. Juliet was escorted down the hall.

“Oh my God,” Ben gasped, getting off of the locker.

“What the hell?” Ariel asked.

Vermont’s face fell open. The officer had a hand on Juliet’s back, escorting her down to the police car that surely awaited the gates.

“Call my dad,” Juliet called out nervously to Ariel.

“Of course,” Ariel nodded, her shaking fingers already lingering over the keypad on the screen.

~

 _Note to self: Tell Chester you don’t need handcuffs to feel like you’re guilty. You don’t even need to be guilty to feel guilty,_ Juliet thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On hiatus until further notice!


	24. Can And Will Be

“Ms Jones, I just need you to answer a couple of questions.”

Silence.

“Where were you, on July Fourth?”

“I was…I was at home,” Juliet sighed.

“Alright. Was anyone with you?”       

“No,” she replied, the voice ragged. _My father was knocked out in the Whyte Wyrm,_ is that an alibi enough?

“I see,” Sherriff Keller noted. Juliet closed her eyes. She looked guilty on paper. She’d never thought about it, but she looked _so_ guilty on paper.

“Did you have…any bad relations with Janessa Blossom?”

“I…no. No,” she spoke the last word with more confidence.

“Really? Her brother tells me that she bullied you,” Sherriff Keller stated.

“Janessa Blossom bullied everyone who wasn’t above a certain level of popularity,” Juliet informed.

Sherriff Keller nodded. _He doesn’t believe me,_ she realized.

“Ms Jones…we requested your file from the school and your grades and attendance…” he trailed off.

Silence.

“I’m just going to tell you what I’m thinking here. Janessa Blossom bullied you, and you got jealous of her, and you hated her. She had everything you wanted, right? It got the better of you. And if you help us, we can help you,” he urged.

“I. Didn’t. Kill. Janessa. Blossom,” Juliet seethed.

“Ms Jones, we found your…notebook. You’ve spent quite some time thinking about a murder that doesn’t even concern you in the slightest. Unless of course, it does. Does it? Does it concern you, Ms Jones?”

“My boyfriend’s brother was married to the victim so yes, I would say it does,” Juliet informed.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. _Janessa Blossom was married?_  

Sherriff Keller leaned back. He nodded. “Would you like a glass of water?” he asked.

 _You accuse me of murder and then you carry on with meaningless pleasantries?_ How very Riverdale of him. She glared at him. He sighed. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”

 _Teenagers,_ he sighed internally.

Outside, one of his officers came to him and said, “Fred Andrews is saying the kid inside worked for him on July fourth. He’s got his record book to prove it.”

~

FP leapt onto his motorbike and swerved out of the trailer park. He watched the needle on the speedometer linger in the dangerous area.

_Faster, faster._

The police station was all too familiar to him, but the previous times he had been there, he always had something to bail his Serpent members with. Some kind of alibi, or some kind of _something._ But this time around, it was his daughter. This time, it was more important than ever. And this time, he really had _nothing._ Nothing at all.

The chilly winds stung his face that was exposed completely due to the lack of a helmet. The gravel skid left and right when he pulled in at the police station. What was he going to say? Nervousness paralyzed him in front of the façade of the police station.

Just then, Fred exited the station, Ariel in tow. Of course. Fred was here. Juliet was right behind Ariel, her head down. _Was she crying?_ FP wondered. He hated it when Juliet cried because more often than not it was his fault. She looked up, her eyes widening when she noticed him there.

There were no tears in her eyes, to FP’s relief. But to his larger horror, it was shame. Like she was ashamed of being… her.

“Dad?” she said, rushing in for a hug. In a daze, he wrapped his arms around her, glad that she was okay. They were like that for some time. Fred and Ariel looked away, and that was right when Alice’s car swerved in, and Ben got out to talk to Ariel before the car even fully stopped moving.

“I’m sorry, oh Julie, I’m so sorry,” FP apologized, tears pooling in his eyes. Juliet didn’t say anything.

He pulled away from Juliet, holding her face in his hand. “Hey, hey, kid, look at me,” he said, a new determination forming in place of the tears. He was going to fix this. He _had_ to fix this.

“I…I know I have been a shit dad since your mom and I…separated. But give me one more chance. I won’t screw up this time. Do you trust me? Please, Julie, you have to trust me. Do you trust your father, Julie?” he asked, looking at her. She looked right at him, her face white, her eyes red.

Three excruciating seconds later, she nodded. “I…I trust you, Dad,” she said.

Alice stepped out of her car, saying, “Fred, Forsythe? Can I call a parent conference? Ben, drive your friends to Pop’s and have your lunch.” Her question was less of a question than a statement.

The three of them got into the car. The car sped off, leaving the three of them standing.

Alice shared a look with Fred. They’d had this intervention before, a long time ago. 25 years ago, to be exact. Right before they had gone their separate ways that met every now and then.

“Look,” Fred began, on a soft and understanding note.

“Forsythe, I understand that you’ve been in a bad place ever since Gladys left, but you can’t be jeopardizing Juliet like that,” Alice reprimanded.

FP looked down, his ears turning red. He said in Fred’s direction, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, he did have to, otherwise your own daughter would end up in jail earlier than you!” Alice yelled.

Fred gave Alice a reproachful look. _Tone it down, Alice._ “Why do you care so much, Alice? Thought you didn’t give a shit about people from the Southside anymore,” FP said coldly.

Alice stared at him, taken aback. She didn’t think she would be getting a retort. “What makes you think that?”

“How about your anti-Southside newspaper?” FP asked.

Alice rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point, FP,” Fred said softly.

“Then why is she here, Fred?” he asked. “After all these years, you choose now to show up for me, 25 years later, you decide to _care?_ ” FP said venomously to Alice.

Alice’s expression changed. “You know…you know I couldn’t…” she began to stutter, at a loss for words.

“Give Hal my greetings, Alice. You know, you make it seem like you’re such a lioness in your family, but he’s still controlling you, isn’t he? Because even after 25 years, we’re still in high school.” FP snapped.    

Alice gritted, “Mind. Your. Words.” FP kept glaring at her. Fred stepped right in between them, playing the same role he had played all those years ago.

“Listen, listen, just listen to me. You still have your job, the chance to get better is still there. All that matters is showing Juliet that you can be better because you can. I know that,” Fred insisted. FP looked at him, slowly nodding. _Juliet, Juliet,_ he chanted. That was all that mattered. He nodded, going to his bike.

“I’ll see you around, Fred,” he said, and then sped off.

Fred nodded at FP, waving goodbye. He turned to Alice, who was looking away, trying to stifle tears. “Hey,” he said softly. “Want me to drive you home?” he asked.

She looked at him. “Yeah, thanks, Fred,” she said, sounding almost the same as the leather-clad cheerleading captain she was all those years ago.

Alice Cooper, the ex-Serpent member and wife to staunch anti-Serpent, Hal Cooper, got into Fred Andrews’ car and drove off.

~

Ben, Ariel and Juliet entered Pop’s where Vermont already was, reserving their booth for them. When they approached, Vermont grinned at Juliet, saying, “I ordered all your favourites off of the menu,” he said as an explanation.

“Onion rings, burgers, fries, nuggets, every fried item off the menu,” he said. “And we can wash down that grease with these world-class milkshakes,” he gestured.

Juliet tried to smile but failed. Ariel slid in next to Vermont, kissing him on the cheek, whispering a thank you. Juliet sat next to the window, looking out of Pop’s, trying her best not to cry. Ben sat next to her, rigid, not quite knowing how to do this.

“Julie?” Ben asked gingerly, gesturing slightly to the food. She looked at him, her tears overflowing. Ariel looked away. She didn’t like it when any of her friends cried. Ben pulled Juliet into a hug, murmuring, “It’ll be okay,” over and over again, stroking her hair.

She pulled away, wiping her eyes. She picked up and onion ring, wearing it like a wedding ring. “We need to figure out who J is and who killed Janessa. Otherwise, my father is next,” Juliet said, a new determination taking place on her face.

“And all of us will help,” Ariel reassured, holding Juliet’s hand. Juliet looked at Ariel, nodding.

Vermont and Ben nodded. “Now,” Vermont said ceremoniously, “shall we dig in?” Juliet nodded and they dug in, munching and enjoying Riverdale’s finest cuisine.

After a couple of minutes, a red car pulled in at Pop’s. Chester.

“Oh God, no, no, no,” Juliet said, sinking into her seat. Ben rolled his eyes.

Chester strolled in, his hands in his pockets, smirking. Ben started to rise, when Chester said, “Oh sit down, Benjamin, I’m not here to do anything. I just came here to congratulate Juliet on evading the law. Not for long, though, of course,” Chester said, his mouth a contented snarl. Vermont wiped his mouth with his napkin, saying, “Hey, Chester can I talk to you outside for a minute?”

Chester shrugged and then nodded. Vermont and Chester both went outside.

Vermont stood in front of Chester outside of Pop’s for a second, before erupting, “What the hell were you thinking?” he shoved Chester.

Chester took a disgruntled step back. “She’s not as innocent as she looks, Vermont,” he explained.

“No, she is! God, not everyone is here to get to you, alright? She wants to know who killed Janessa as much as you do because she doesn’t like it that a murderer is on the loose. She’s innocent, you…you buffoon!”

Chester smirked at the insult. “I got to say, Lodge,” he said coldly. “You’re improving, but not enough,” he remarked.

Vermont snarled, and then pulled his fist back, connecting it with Chester’s jaw.

The three inside Pop’s rushed out, Ariel yelling, “Stop, stop it, stop it!”

Chester held his jaw, his mouth open in shock rather than in pain. “You…you punched me!” he asked in horror.

Ben suppressed a smile, Juliet stared at Vermont. _Lodge punched his friend…for me?_ She thought.

“I’ll punch you again if you don’t stop jacking around with my friends,” Vermont threatened.

Chester laughed. “You…you actually think she,” he pointed at Juliet menacingly, “is actually your friend?” He laughed derisively, the laugh scratchy and ugly. “Oh please, Vermont. You actually think you belong amongst them? You don’t. You’re a city boy, you don’t know anything about them,” he said.

Ben laughed, the tone matching Chester’s. “As if you would know anything about friends. You’ve only had minions. At least Vermont knows how to be a friend,” he snarled.

Ariel stepped in between the three of them, trying to mediate the fight. “Okay, you guys, calm down, alright?”

The three boys took a step back, taking deep breaths.

“This is not the way to behave, alright? I don’t care who accused who of what, when and why, I don’t care. All of us are going to shut up and I and my friends are going to return to our meal and you’re going to return to your house, Chester. You already “congratulated” Juliet. So you can head on home now,” Ariel smiled, not meaning any inch of it.

Chester rolled his eyes and turned around, heading to his car, whipping it around and driving back home. Ariel smiled, impressed by herself.

She turned around to face Juliet, her hands on her hips. 

“So, Juliet, where do we start digging?” 

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...1000 hits? THAT'S CRAZY. Thanks to anyone who read my fic and thought "wow Ariel isn't as boring as Archie and perhaps I should continue reading" because y'all are 2017's new MVPs. ~ dangpankoozie


	25. Held Against You

The four members of Riverdale’s local Scooby Gang sat inside Pop’s, discussing the happenings in their small suburb of a town.

“I’m telling you, Juliet. You’re going to need Chester’s help,” Vermont insisted.

Before Juliet could respond, Ben did. “How could you even say that?” Ben glared at Vermont.

“Don’t burn me at the stake for saying the truth! You need Chester’s help to figure out everything about Janessa. What do we know about her? Nothing! That’s what we know,” Vermont said indignantly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Monty,” Ariel grunted.

“Juliet, listen to me,” Vermont said slowly. “If you don’t even know how Janessa passed away, and if she had a list of-”

“You know, for someone who literally punched that boy for hurting your friends you really do change sides at lightning speed,” Juliet said, hurt evident on her face.

“Juliet,” Vermont started, but Ben interrupted. “Parker!” His face lit up. “I can ask Parker to snoop around!”

Juliet shook her head. “Parker’s already in shark territory over there. If you ask him to do all that, he will definitely get kicked out.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Well, then he’ll come back home. Either way, it’s a win-win,” he then glared at Vermont. “And that is also our _only_ choice.”

Vermont shook his head in disbelief. “He’s gone through a lot, alright? I’m not going to crucify him for that. Imagine losing the only person who cared for you and finding out he was blackmailed to _death._ Wouldn’t you go to the ends of the earth to figure out who did it?”

“I wouldn’t baselessly accuse easy scapegoats,” Ben argued.

“He’s not as bad as you think he is!” Vermont insisted, his voice louder.

Ariel leaned forward. “You know, Monty, you’ve never been loyal to one side the whole time we’ve known you. Sometimes you help Chester, other times you help Ben. What are we supposed to believe?”

Juliet looked at her best friend in shock. Vermont mirrored her expression. “Ben and Chester are both my friends,” he explained slowly.

Juliet shook her head, looking out of Pop’s. “Seriously?” Vermont asked.

“Are you really going to be the immature one here and tell me to _pick a side?_ Really?”

Ariel shrugged. “Ariel!” Vermont yelled.

“Is she really wrong?” Ben asked through gritted teeth.

“You know what, Ben?” Vermont said, poison filling his mouth. “He was right. You just _don’t_ get it, do you? Losing a person ruins everything, alright? It makes you make mistakes that you will regret. But you won’t get it because you did get Parker back.”

Ben’s expression softened, turning to one of anger to shock, and then hurt. Vermont thought about apologizing. But what was there to apologize for? The words were true to him.

Juliet turned her head slowly, looking at the dark-haired boy. “So was he right about us not being your friends?”

Vermont bit his lip, choosing his words carefully.

“The thing is, friendship is a two-way street. So I guess it’s up to you,” Vermont said.

Ben rolled his eyes, abruptly picking up his things and rushing out of the diner. “Ben!” Ariel called out after him, but he stomped away.

Ariel immediately rushed after him, leaving Vermont and Juliet alone at the table.

Juliet was still processing Vermont’s words.

“I believe you,” Juliet reassured.

Vermont leaned away from her in surprise.

~

“Ben! Come on!” Ariel called out, wrapping her coat around her tighter.

He stopped rushing away from her, and then turned around to face her. “I can’t. I can’t forgive the guy who almost put my girlfriend in jail,” Ben said indignantly.

“Of course,” Ariel said empathetically.

Ben refused to look at Ariel. “I…can’t…” he said, doing his best not to punch something.

“Don’t let Chester’s words ruin the friendship between the four of us,” Ariel urged softly.

Ben looked at Ariel, his eyes red. He nodded, taking a step back, shaking his head to get rid of the anger, reminding himself to stay calm. His voice back to normal, “You’re right. Look, Ariel, I need to go. But tell Vermont I’m sorry for today’s fiasco.” Ariel laughed at Ben’s choice of words.

“It wasn’t _that_ much of a fiasco,” Ariel argued. Ben chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I guess I’ll see you, huh?” Ariel asked, to which Ben nodded in reply. She smiled, and then walked away.

Ben turned on his phone, calling his older brother. Who the hell cared about whether Chester was right or wrong? Ben was right. That Blossom boy was the most untrustworthy guy in town, and given how everyone in Riverdale was, that was saying something.

 _Pick up, pick up, pick up,_ Ben urged in his head, hoping somehow Parker would. They hadn’t talked since Parker left.

“Ben,” Parker said, sounding anxious.

“Parker, I need your help,” Ben said quickly.

“With what? I don’t have much time, you need to speak fast,” Parker’s voice urged.

“We found out that Janessa got blackmailed before she…died,” Ben winced. _Died._ That must be hard for Parker to hear. Ben listened to the silence. Deafening.

“Parker?”

“No…I…I’m here,” Parker replied.

“Okay. Right. I need you to figure out who did it. And “it” can really be anything to do with Janessa. We’re trying to figure out everything,” Ben explained.

“Ben! That’s why I’m here! I think someone in this mansion had something to do with it! I’ll let you know if I find something…” he trailed off.

“Wait, really?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” Parker laughed, the sound jarring to Ben, given the circumstances.

“So…you’ll update me?” Ben asked.

“Of course,” Parker reassured.

“You know…sometimes I forget you’re a Cooper,” Ben joked. The jarring sound repeated itself.

“Look, Ben, I need to go…but I guess I’ll call you, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Ben said in relief. He’d come so close to losing his brother. Now it felt like he was closer to him than ever.

 _So…Chester was right. He lost his sister, and you keep getting your brother back. So you really_ don’t _get it._

Ben groaned at his inner conscience.

“Shut up,” he said under his breath.

~

“ _You_ believe me?” Vermont asked Juliet incredulously.

“I mean…I get it. Losing someone…it does make you go a little…crazy, I guess,” Juliet admitted reluctantly.

Vermont smiled. This was a score for Vermont, right? Not that he was keeping score. “And…yeah, I guess. Ben didn’t really… _lose_ Parker, I guess. Whatever. I don’t think it matters,” Juliet said quickly.

“You know,” Vermont grinned, sipping on his milkshake, leaning back. “You’re not cheating on him by admitting he can be in the wrong.”

Juliet rolled her eyes good-naturedly, sipping her own milkshake, looking out of the window at the winter wonderland that Riverdale had become.

Ariel came back, rubbing her hands from the cold. Grinning, she avoided the elephant that lazed on their table. She picked up her burger and bit into it. “It’s still warm! How the hell is it still warm?” Ariel gushed.

Vermont and Juliet shared a glance, before returning to pressuring Ariel into poking the elephant on their table herself through the mere power of their gaze. Peer pressure was a miracle worker sometimes.

Ariel finally broke, saying exasperatedly, “Ben is…fine.” Vermont raised his eyebrow, not believing a single word. Juliet scoffed, and then felt guilty after. 

“He is! He just…let his anger get the best of him,” Ariel relented.

Vermont took a bite out of his burger, smirking. “What?” Ariel laughed nervously.

“Nothing,” Juliet said on behalf of him. “He’s fine, so let’s talk about Janessa. Who do you guys think is J?”

Ariel raised her eyebrows. If she had not known Juliet as well as she did, then perhaps she could not have detected that skilled subject-change.

Ariel decided to not say anything at all, a silent defiance and a signal to Juliet. _I saw that._

“A Serpent?” Vermont shrugged.

Juliet raised her eyebrows, a thought occurring to her. _J_ osephine. 

“Anyone else?” Juliet asked, the question pointed at Ariel. Ariel ignored it.

“Ariel?” Vermont prompted. Ariel shook her head, feigning ignorance. Juliet rolled her eyes, an action seen only by Ariel.

“Well, I know a girl named Josephine, from the Serpents,” Juliet said.

“Kat’s girlfriend, right?” Vermont asked.

Juliet nodded, before carrying on. “Maybe she has an idea? Maybe we can talk to Kat? I don’t know,” Julie said sadly, coming up with no ideas.

“Ben and I could talk to Kat, I guess,” Vermont offered. Juliet licked her upper lip, contemplating it. “Well, don’t offend her,” Juliet said, thinking it through.

 _And don’t offend Ben,_ Juliet thought, but she didn’t say.

~


	26. Dances and Distractions

Ben carried boxes around, helping the dance committee prepare for the winter school dance. Chester was the chairperson of the committee by default yet again. He kept barking orders at people, holding a clipboard. Every time his voice reigned over a poor minion doing his bidding, Ben rolled his eyes.

“No! Not there! Move it to the left!” Chester barked at a hapless freshman. She nervously fidgeted with the decorations.

What was this? The fiftieth time?

Juliet rushed into the hall, eager to talk to her boyfriend. Boyfriend. The word felt foreign when she was simply thinking it. But it was a nice kind of foreign. Like discovering a new culture in a new country.

 _Let’s not be so dramatic,_ Juliet reminded herself.

“Ben!” she approached him, excited.

“Julie,” he smiled, setting his box down.

“Your mom just came to talk to me,” Juliet said.

“What?” Ben asked, not sure how to react to this, whether to be surprised or shocked. Why would Alice Cooper do that?

“I know, right?” Juliet laughed. “I don’t know. But I’m not going to question it because she invited my dad and me for dinner before the dance this Friday.”

“What?” Ben repeated like a toy. _So shock it is._ Why, in the world, would Alice Cooper do that?

“I’m offended you’re so surprised!” Juliet joked. “I had to earn the Alice Cooper Seal of Approval at some point, Ben!”

Ben laughed, trying not to second-guess his mother. Maybe she came from a good place. The odds were low, but they were significant enough for Ben to consider them. So he did.

 _Your mother likes your girlfriend, Ben._ He grinned, giving himself the proverbial pat on the back.

~

Alice Cooper smiled to herself as she set up her plan. Part one was calming her conscience. She was doing this for her son’s good, and for her friend’s good. She was not doing anything particularly wrong, per se. A little snooping was healthy. Part two was the distraction. This part required a little bit of faking, but the happy expression on Juliet’s face when she invited her father and her for dinner was a little worth it.

_Jesus, was she really warming up to Forsythe Pendleton Jones the II’s daughter?_

Miracles were real.

And now, here she was, looking for a place to execute part three, and when her eyes settled on Ben’s best friends, she knew that this was a signal from someone up there saying, _you’re not wrong, Alice._

“Vermont, Ariel,” she greeted, approaching the two of them.

“Mrs. Cooper,” Ariel grinned, and Vermont greeted her softly.

“I heard that Juliet and the rest of you are…” Alice tried to think of the correct words.

“Playing Sherlock Holmes with this town?” Vermont supplied.

Alice chuckled. The Lodges. They always had that absurd humour and charm, did they not? And Hiram’s son had all the right parts of him. A proper heir is what he was becoming.

“In brash terms, yes,” Alice said.

“It’s nothing dangerous,” Ariel quickly reassured.

“I’m sure, Ariel,” Alice smiled. “Actually, I need your help. You see,” she looked around, before dragging the two children to an empty classroom.

“I have suspicions of my own,” she said mysteriously.

“And I need you to explore those suspicions on my behalf,” Alice said, pausing for dramatic effect. Vermont looked at Mrs Cooper with the cool, detached gaze that he had mastered, _but also partially inherited from his mother_ , Alice noted.

“Well,” Ariel said cautiously, glancing at Vermont. “You’ll have to tell us more before we can say anything,” she said.  

“You’re not going to like this, Ariel, but I’m suspecting something about Juliet’s father. I need you to check his trailer out for anything that can point to his involvement,” Alice rushed quickly, hoping she would get an agreement out of the two of them quickly.

“No!” Ariel rejected vehemently, while at the same time Vermont shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Sure, Mrs. C.”

Ariel glared at Vermont. “We can’t sneak into Juliet’s home and figure out if her father is a murderer!”

“But we can sneak into Juliet’s home and confirm that he’s not,” Vermont persuaded.

Ariel considered Vermont’s words. Alice Cooper stood up from the desk as the bell rang. “Oh well, sleep on it. The dance isn’t until Friday, so, no worries,” she reassured, before walking out of the room, leaving the two younger students conflicted on their decision.

~

Ben and Vermont walked to their next class together. The cold air was making the whole school cold, but everyone was warming up because of the dance coming up.

“I’m totally going to ask Ariel soon,” Vermont said giddily.

Ben cooed. “Vermont and Ariel, sitting on a tree…” he started chanting, but Vermont was too embarrassed to ask him to keep quiet. Ben chuckled at his friend’s blush. Cocky, confident and proud Vermont Lodge…blushing? It couldn’t be!

“You really like her, huh?” Ben grinned.

Vermont grinned back, teasing him. “Is that jealousy in your voice, Cooper?” he challenged.

Ben rolled his eyes. “In case you haven’t heard, I’m already a Romeo to a Juliet.”

Vermont cringed. “You do realize how that ends right?”

Ben laughed out loud. “In flames.”

~

Ariel and Juliet went out to shop for their dresses. Most of it was Ariel trying out dresses at an inhumanly rapid pace and occasionally, out of guilt, picking one out for Juliet to try.

“Ben hasn’t even asked me yet, Ariel. I might not even go.” Juliet tried to make up an excuse.

“You’re literally meeting his parents for dinner before the dance. He doesn’t even _need_ to ask you,” Ariel said from behind the door of the changing room. Stepping out, she twirled a little.

“Gorgeous,” Juliet gushed. She’d been searching up thesaurus words for “beautiful”. Ariel looked great in whatever she picked out, she just needed to choose. So far, she’d used up pretty, great, beautiful, stunning and of course, gorgeous. She might have used great and pretty a couple more times.

Ariel looked at her best friend’s contemplative face. “I’m boring you, aren’t I?” she said, pouting. Juliet shook her head in denial. “This was definitely on my bucket list,” she winked. Ariel rolled her eyes good-naturedly and stood in front of the mirror.

It was a simple yet elegant dress, really. The indigo dress looked great with her dark red hair. _This one it is,_ Ariel thought. “I’m getting this,” Ariel declared.

“After I take this off, it’s your turn,” Ariel winked at Juliet, going back into the closet.

“Why can’t I just wear the one I wore to Janessa’s wake?” Juliet whined.

“Because her psycho brother is in charge of this dance. And also, funeral wear cannot double up as party wear.” Ariel said from behind the closed door.

Juliet said, “He’s not _psycho,_ Ariel. And, some parties _are_ like funerals. Exhibit A: my sweetest of sixteen.”

“Excuse me?” her head popped out from behind the door. “Did we collectively decide to forget that point in time he almost sent you to jail? And also, he ruined that party singlehandedly.” She closed the door again. 

“I mean…no, of course not, I don’t like him, but I get it. I mean…his sister very much did die,” Juliet shrugged nonchalantly.

“Sometimes I feel like Ben and I are the only ones left with any common sense.”

“You say that as if you had common sense in the first place,” Juliet smirked.

“Jules!” Juliet laughed.

~

“We need to check out that trailer, Ariel,” Vermont urged over the phone.

“Why? Why can’t we just take FP’s word for it? He told Juliet that he wasn’t involved, so he isn’t!”

“Why? Because parents lie, that’s why. It’s in their job description,” Vermont said indignantly.

“Vermont,” Ariel said as if she was chiding him.

“That’s what people say to me when they run out of arguments. Don’t think of it as accusing Juliet’s father of murder, think of it as confirming that he has nothing to do with any of it.”

“You know, V, people repeat their arguments when they run out of things to say,” Ariel’s voice pierced.

Vermont sighed. “I don’t want to fight with you about this. I don’t want to argue about anything at all,” Vermont said dejectedly.

“These saccharine words are not going to convince me to betray Juliet, Vermont. It’s not like I want to argue about this either,” the static crackled.

“Fine. Then let’s not argue. I’m going, if you’re not going to come, I’ll meet you at the dance,” Vermont said curtly.

“What? You expect me to let you wander into the Southside alone?” Ariel shouted.

“Calm down!” Vermont said. He’d never heard Ariel scream before.

“Tell me you’re not going,” Ariel demanded.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Vermont said right back.

“What is with you? What is this sudden sense of justice in you? Is this about that redheaded menace?”

“He’s not Voldemort, you can say his name. And no, this has nothing to do with him.”

“Then why are you so pressed about this damn trailer?” she asked again, anger clear in her words.

Vermont sighed. “I know my dad has something to do with FP. Chester sent me a picture of my mother passing a huge stack of money to him.” 

“When was this?”

“When I first met all of you. A couple of days into the semester, I think.”

“And you told…?”

“Nobody. I didn’t tell anybody. Because I didn’t know that was Juliet’s dad. Now I know, and now I want to find out if Hiram Lodge is controlling things from behind bars.”

He heard a sigh from the other end of the line. “There is absolutely nothing I can say to dissuade you, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then I guess I have no choice but to tag along. Reluctantly. I will be very vocal about this reluctance,” Ariel said.

“It’s a date,” Vermont grinned.

“No, it’s not a date. It’s a dangerous, foolhardy thing for two sixteen-year-olds to do. The date happens _after,_ at the dance, where we will dance, as the name suggests, and be normal sixteen-year-olds.”

“Still a date, Mamacita.”

“Is not,” Ariel said curtly, the words having no humour behind them.

“Thanks, Ariel,” Vermont said sincerely.

“Remember, I will be _very_ vocal about this reluctance,” Ariel said.

“I will,” Vermont said, before hanging up.

“Reluctance about what?” Juliet asked, returning with an arm full of dresses.

Ariel looked up, trying not to let the shock get to her expression. “Nothing,” she said quickly, putting her phone in her pocket. She quickly took the dresses from Juliet’s hand.

“These are _all_ gorgeous,” Ariel gushed, hoping the subject of her reluctance did not come up.

~


	27. Table of Tension

Juliet fiddled with her bracelet. She looked good, she had to admit. _Ariel’s magic,_ she guessed. She stepped out of the bedroom to see her father standing in a neat sweater and pants. And he had shaved.

Juliet swore she could feel the plates of the earth shift.  

“You look stunning, Julie,” her father beamed, the smile warm. Juliet went in for a hug, embracing this new avatar of her father that she adored already.

Getting out of the trailer and into the car, the father and daughter drove to the Cooper household.

~

The doorbell rang, and Mrs. Cooper swung the door open to let the Joneses come in. “Juliet, Forsythe, come, come,” she ushered them in.

Benedict, Hal, Alice, Juliet and FP sat at the table, eating in a silence Juliet and Ben repeatedly tried to break, but to no avail.

“I must say, Forsythe, it’s a cruel twist of fate that Ben and Juliet are seeing each other!” Hal joked.

Alice stiffened. “Why is it cruel? I’d say it’s a great twist of fate, Hal,” FP said with a wry tone.

“Why would it be cruel, dad?” Ben asked, stuffing a forkful of greens into his mouth.

“Well, it just goes to show history indeed does repeat,” Hal winked at FP, who smiled politely.

Juliet and Ben shared a curious look. “Well,” FP cleared his throat awkwardly. “Hopefully, history doesn’t repeat all of it, right, Hal?”

Alice gritted her teeth. “FP,” she warned.

“What, Alice? If Hal likes to talk about the past, I should too,” FP challenged. Juliet closed her eyes in disappointment. Yet another failure.

“Does Hal still yell at you, Al?” FP winked at Alice.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Hal asked rudely.

“Well, don’t you guys remember senior prom?” FP chuckled. 

Ben rolled his eyes sullenly. Why did parents have to be like this?

“Of course I remember,” Alice tried to change the subject. “We were prom king and queen, remember Hal?” Hal smiled sweetly at his wife in response.

“What were you guys yelling about, then?” FP asked faux-innocently.

“Nothing, of course,” Alice quickly lied.

Hal glared at Alice, who looked at her food. Ben and Juliet quickly tried to ease the tension. “Well,” Juliet wiped her mouth. “I guess Ben and I should get going, Dad,” she said. FP stood up coolly, and Ben and Juliet quickly left the house.

 _Well,_ Ben and Juliet thought. _That was an epic fail._

~

“This is going to be an epic fail,” Ariel whined. Vermont groaned inside his head. “You indeed are extremely vocal about your reluctance, Andrews,” he said.

“Well, you were warned,” Ariel joked. Vermont rolled his eyes and smiled as he took the key buried in the overflowing ashtray.

“That’s disgusting,” Ariel wrinkled her nose.

“But a little ingenious, right? I don’t even think Mr. Jones smokes,” Vermont speculated.

Ariel ignored his words and rushed her way into the trailer. “Well,” Ariel looked around the trailer. “It’s still the same as when we were kids,” she smiled.

“Juliet lived here since she was little?” Vermont asked. It seemed absurd that someone would live this desolately. The trailer was clean, but it was small, and barely had space for two people. And to think an entire family used to live here.

“Oh no, Juliet didn’t live here since she was small, but after Mrs. Jones and Jack left…well, FP moved here after selling the house,” Ariel explained.

Vermont nodded, searching the house. In silence, the two of them searched the entire house. Neither knew what exactly they were looking for. Evidence of murder. What exactly, though?

“Anything?” Ariel asked.

“Nothing,” Vermont sighed.

“Why the hell are you disappointed?” Ariel asked sharply.

“I’m not…I’m not disappointed,” Vermont sighed, again.

“You should be glad!” Ariel glared at him.

“And I am, alright? Let’s not argue and stay here like sitting ducks. You want to look one more time?” Vermont asked.

“Definitely not. Now we know he had nothing to do with anything, so let’s get out of here,” Ariel said, heading out of the trailer.

Vermont glanced at the trailer one last time before leaving too. _This is a good thing,_ Vermont convinced himself. _Juliet’s father is innocent._

~

The man looked at the two of them rush out of the trailer.

_Put the gun in the box and leave without a trace. Then I’ll call the police._

The shadow went into the trailer, took the box from the closet. Check.

Then, he bounded out of the trailer. Mate.

~

Juliet stood at one corner with Ben, observing the gaggle of teenagers shaking to the rhythm. Juliet laughed occasionally watching Chester and Rachel dance together, Rachel grooving effortlessly while Chester awkwardly tried to keep up with her.

Ben, meanwhile, was busy suspiciously observing a specific chaperone and two of his friends converse.

 _Ariel and Vermont…what the hell would they have to do with my mom?_ Ben thought. Ariel seemed almost…incensed at Vermont.

Alice Cooper turned away from the pair and they rushed to the hallway.

“Hey, Julie,” Ben said to her, “Wait here, okay, let me go find Vermont and Ariel,” Ben said.

Juliet nodded, sipping her punch.

Ben rushed out.

~

“Vermont!” Ben yelled at the empty hallway, making the two of them stop.

The two of them froze and then turned around.

“Hey,” Ariel said, putting on a fake smile.

“Where’re you guys going? The dance is this way,” Ben said, pointing his thumb at his back.

 “Actually…Ariel’s not feeling well, so…we’re going to go now,” Vermont said.

“Did the two of you get tickets to the dance just to have a talk with my mother?” Ben asked, folding his arms.

“Ben…” Ariel trailed off.

“Yeah, tell me, I’m listening. I want to know what you and my mother talked about,” Ben spat.

“What’s going on, you guys?” Juliet’s voice echoed down the empty hallway as she walked.

Ben ignored her and continued to question his friends. “So…tell me. Where were the two of you before the dance? At the Pembrooke? Or maybe at Ariel’s?”

“Pem-” Vermont started to lie.

“We were at the trailer park,” Ariel admitted in a small voice. Vermont looked at her in surprise.

“Looking for me? But we were-” Juliet started.

“No. Not…not looking for you,” Ariel said, not meeting anybody’s eyes.

“Then…what were you doing there?” Ben asked.

“We…searched your trailer,” Vermont said.

“For what?” Juliet asked, her eyes turning into slits.

“…for evidence,” Ben explained, spitting the word.

“Of…?” Juliet asked, still not getting it.

“Of Janessa’s murder, I’m sure,” Ben glared at his two friends.

Juliet’s jaw dropped open. “What?” she snarled, her voice flat and treacherous.

“…Jules,” Ariel reached out for her arm.

“Fuck off!” Juliet yelled.

The other two looked down, faces overcast with guilt. “My father said he had nothing to do with anything!” Juliet yelled again.

“Juliet,” Vermont started to explain.

“No. Shut up. All three of you can just shut the fuck up. I don’t need your excuses. You went behind my back. I guess I should go back to my trailer now. Tell me, Ariel, do you have a key or is it still in the ashtray?” she spat.

Ben said, “Julie, no, I had nothing…”

“Stop it!” Juliet said. “You knew at once something was wrong, so you obviously knew _something._ Did you not?”

Ben stayed silent, looking at her. Suddenly, the connection made itself in Juliet’s mind.

“Oh my God…” Juliet said softly. And then, she said it a little louder. “Oh my God!”

“The dinner was a distraction! Oh my fucking God!” Juliet took several steps back from the three of them.

Juliet started laughing nervously. “Oh my God…” she laughed. “All three of you…betrayed me!” she continued laughing humorlessly.

“I mean, I guess I expect it from the Lodge, but really? Ben? Ariel? Wow…” she said.

“No…” Ariel tried to make an excuse.

“Shut up! I thought I asked you to shut up!” Juliet yelled again.

Suddenly, Katrina rushed into the hallway. “There you guys are!” she yelled. “You guys need tracking devices!”

Juliet glared at the girl. “Did you hear, Juliet?” she asked.

“Hear what?” Ben asked, a feeling of impending doom overcoming him.

“They arrested her dad, Ben. For Janessa’s murder,” Katrina told him. Juliet’s expression turned white.

And then she shoved Ariel and Vermont out of the way and started sprinting out of the school, ignoring her former friends yelling at her.

~

Juliet ran for a little while away from the school so that Ben and the rest could not come after her. She really was a fool, to think that the dinner was a manifestation of some kind of goodwill, and that Ben’s mother didn’t have something up her sleeve. And she really was a fool to believe Ben when he said that she wasn’t his project. Of course, she was. What else could she ever be to Ben? Ben, who was perfect with a perfect life, who even looked the part of the perfect golden boy. She’d been lying to herself, clearly. And now the illusion had given way, and her father was going to go to jail, and her friends had vanished. She was alone, again. She felt a bitter laugh bubble up inside her. _How the hell did I not see this coming,_ she thought.

Her aimless wandering had led her to the bus station, and suddenly the golden locket on her neck boiled her skin with a sudden fury. She should leave, just like her father had told her to. He lied to her face, and then felt guilty about it and gave her the contingency plan through the locket. Her father may not have his shit together, but he could be clever when he was trying to keep necks out of guillotines. His neck out of her guillotine, and her own neck out of social services’.

She rushed into the telephone box, needing to speak to her mother, talk to Jack, her amazing ten-year-old brother who she suddenly missed so much more. She pressed the numbers she had memorized by now. She had rarely called this number because she was a coward in that way. Instead of calling the number, she would recite it until it was inscribed in her head.

So her fingers moved over the keypad of their own accord. A couple of rings and she picked up, her rough voice crackling in the speaker, through the static.

“Hello?”

“Mom,” she breathed, trying her best not to cry.

“Juliet?”

“Mom,” she exhaled again, not knowing where to begin.

“Juliet, is that you?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me.”

“Is everything alright?”

“No, no, I mean, yeah, everything’s fine. I was just…thinking if I could come see you all in Toledo? For a little while?”

Silence from Gladys Jones’ end, and then Juliet braced herself for the rejection she knew was coming.

“Mom?”

“I don’t know, Juliet…”

“No, no, I get it…” Juliet scrambled to find some end to the conversation.

“I’m sorry, Juliet,” her mother’s voice sounded damning.

“Yeah. Yeah, me too,” Juliet spat, before slamming the receiver down, some of her bitterness finding its way through to her mother before she could escape.

She leaned against the cold glass of the phone box, not stemming the flow of the tears anymore, because the night was cold and she was alone at the bus station. There was no one left. Or maybe there was no one in the first place, and she had gotten addicted to a delusion. Ben, Ariel, her father, all delusions, illusions.

~

Immediately after the news spread Chester revved his engine and drove back to Thornhill, but not before flashing a satisfied smirk at Ben.

Ben and Ariel wandered around the dimly lit streets, looking for a dark-haired girl in a dress.

“Where the hell did she go?” Ariel asked, panic evident in her voice.

“It’s okay, we’ll find her,” Ben said, not knowing exactly who he was trying to convince.

“What if she went to the Wyrm?” Ariel asked Ben with wide-eyed panic.

“It’s okay, it’s okay…” Ben said.

“No! It’s not! We need to find her!”

~

Vermont left his place for Pop’s. Food was what he wanted, obviously. He had no interest in looking for Juliet with the two of his friends. What had she called him? _The Lodge._ Like he was just like Hiram.

No way. She could feel whatever the hell she felt about the two of them searching that trailer, but they came from good intentions.

He drove furiously over to the diner, just to find her sitting there alone, looking out the window. He sighed. Of course, she would come here. He undid his seatbelt and leaned in the driver’s seat, taking out his phone.

**_Juliet @ Pop’s. – V_ **

He quickly sent the succinct message to Ben and Ariel, who he knew were going crazy trying to look for her.

He went in and ordered some onion rings and a burger, and two milkshakes. Maybe Juliet wanted one.

 _Are you seriously going to talk to her?_ He asked himself.

He took the tray to the booth she was sitting at and sidled in opposite her, sliding a milkshake over to her.

“Want one?” he asked. She glanced at the cup once and immediately rejected it by looking out the window without much regard for the peace offering.

“Listen,” Vermont requested for her attention. She didn’t even bat an eye at him, continuing to look out the window.

“Ariel and I didn’t call the police,” Vermont informed.

She looked at him, her eyes empty of everything. It was a haunting image. It was a tragic image, the beautiful girl in a beautiful dress looking so dishevelled and torn.

“There was no gun,” he urged.

“Maybe you didn’t find it,” Juliet said softly.

“Juliet!” Ben called out, the ring of the bell at the top of the door signalling his arrival with Ariel.

Vermont leaned in. “It’s a small trailer,” he explained. “And we searched it twice, thoroughly.”

Ariel rushed in, gushing. “We were worried sick!” Juliet turned her head back to look at the darkness outside of the diner.

Ben held Ariel back by holding her arm. After sharing a glance with Ben, she sighed. “There was no gun, Jules.”

Juliet looked at Ben in surprise, who nodded reassuringly.

“You can trust us,” Ariel said softly, slowly sliding in next to Juliet. Ben quickly made his way next to Vermont.

“He’s going to jail,” Juliet choked out.

“He’s innocent,” Vermont said fiercely.

“And that makes it worse!” Juliet suddenly yelled.

Ben gulped nervously. How? How were they supposed to console Juliet?

“We’ll get him out,” Ben said softly.

“Us? _Us?_ We’re a bunch of helpless sixteen-year-olds, Ben. My innocent father is going to jail. And that’s it.”

Vermont, Ariel and Ben shared a nervous glance. “Maybe you could visit your mom in Toledo,” Ariel suggested.

A bitter laughed spurted out of her. “She said no.”

~

 


	28. A New Arrival

The holding cell in Riverdale’s police department was occupied by someone for the first time in a long time.

Juliet was let inside by the Sherriff.

“Dad?” she said softly.

FP’s head lifted from the cage of his clawed hands. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Visiting my father,” Juliet said in a matter-of-fact tone.

For a minute, no one had anything to say.

With a small sigh, she said, “I thought you said you didn’t do it.”

“And I still maintain that position,” FP said, not quite looking at her.

“You didn’t do it, but you were involved.” FP looked at her, the look serving as confirmation of Juliet’s suspicions.

“I’m going to figure out what happened, dad. Even if you don’t tell me.”

“I’m going to jail, Juliet, no matter what the hell you figure out. So you do me a favour,” he said, a cruel harshness taking form in his voice. “Look at me!” he screamed, gripping the rods of the door. She looked up into his eyes.

“You do me a favour, and stay away from me. Never. Come. Back. Is that clear?” he asked.

Juliet searched his expression for some signal or something. She found guilt, pain, and everything you would expect in the eyes of a criminal. But she found something else, something she couldn’t pinpoint her finger on.

“It’s clear,” she hissed, leaving the room immediately.

~

“He was acting. He didn’t want me to figure out who killed her,” Juliet told Ariel.

“I don’t care. Why are you here? Chester’s in school. If he sees you…” Ariel trailed off, not wanting to guess what he would do.

“I want to apologize. If anyone can help me figure this out, it’s him.”

“You’re crazy,” Vermont rolled his eyes. “Chester hates you. You’re not going…” Vermont was interrupted by Ben.

“There he is,” he whispered.

Chester walked in alone into the cafeteria, and before anyone could stop her, Juliet was standing up.

“No!” Ariel hissed.

But she was already approaching him. Vermont watched Chester’s expression change from grievous, shock to anger and started to hope that Juliet didn’t get too much of the rage.

“Chester, I just want to say,” Juliet cleared her throat. He glared at her with smouldering eyes.

“How dare you talk to me?” he said in a soft, rigid voice.

“I want to apologize,” Juliet said.

Chester stared at her, and then all of a sudden, shoved her, making her crash into the pillar nearby. Juliet felt the wind escape her as she fell onto the floor. He stood over her, glaring at her, breathing hard. Ben leapt from his seat and punched Chester right in the face, and a trickle of blood came down one nostril.

“Oh my God!” Katrina yelled from one end of the cafeteria. Vermont rushed to the fighting boys, trying to push them apart.

“Fuck you!” Ben yelled, surprised he yelled the word.

“She killed my sister!” Chester yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Juliet, who stared at him with moist eyes. Ariel rushed to her, making sure she was fine.

“She didn’t do it, Chester, she didn’t do it, it wasn’t her,” Vermont chanted in what he hoped was a calming voice. Chester shoved both of the boys off and stomped off, his nose still breathing.

“Are you okay?” Ben rushed to Juliet, who nodded, still looking at the door that was left swinging with the force of Chester’s arm.

~

Nearing the end of lunch, Vermont went to the restroom. Chester was sitting on the floor at one end, looking desolate.

“You alright?” he asked.

“They found out Janessa’s killer,” he said listlessly, looking right through him.

Vermont wiped his hands on a paper towel. “That they did.”

“So why doesn’t it feel like it’s over?” he choked, doing his best not to cry.

“I’m sorry that it doesn’t,” Vermont said, knowing that his words weren’t enough. Chester croaked out a derisive laugh.

“Yeah…me too,” he said.

Vermont stood there for a little while, not moving, not quite sure what to do. “You can leave, you know. I shoved her pretty hard.”

“Have you been eating?”

Chester bit his lip and shook his head slightly.

“Not at all?”

He sighed, still not looking at Vermont. “You need to eat, Chester,” Vermont chided. For the first time, he noticed that the abundant muscle in him that was present when Vermont first came to Riverdale was slowly fading.

He smiled without joy, looking absolutely in a quandary. “Yeah, and Janessa needs to be alive,” he said.

Vermont sighed. “Go for your next class, Chester,” he said.

Chester didn’t respond, waiting for Vermont to leave. He continued to stare into his distance, on the toilet floor, looking like a ghost.  

~

Juliet laid down on her stomach with an ice pack on her shoulder, in the trailer of a neighbour. A rapping materialized at her door, getting a sound of pain out of her. “It’s open,” she groaned. Did her friends always have to disturb her when she was in her bed, lazy to move? _It’s dark, for God’s sake,_ she cursed, _go home for once!_

Katrina, Josephine, Ariel, Ben and Vermont came into the trailer. She raised an eyebrow at the Serpent. An unexpected visit. 

Katrina glared at Josephine. “She has something urgent to tell you.”

Josephine nervously glanced at her girlfriend. “Your father called me when he got arrested.”

Juliet’s groggy gaze turned sharp and accusing at the young gang member. “What?”

“He asked me to get this for him. He said it was going to be his saving grace,” Josephine muttered, holding out a leather jacket.

“It’s Janessa’s,” Ben explained. Juliet ignored Ariel’s concerned gaze and looked at the jacket. She noted with contempt Vermont’s unease. Juliet could at best describe her connection with Vermont a reluctant acquaintance. The sooner it dissolved into enmity, in her eyes, the better. Juliet still shivered at the thought of the rich kid rifling through her things hoping he could throw her father in jail.

She decided to ignore the Lodge boy and focused on the leather jacket. It was fashionable yet did not look like something Janessa would like to include in her wardrobe. _It could belong to a Serpent,_ Juliet mused. Except there was no snake logo. Maybe even Janessa had an edgy side she indulged in.

“What am I supposed to do?” she snapped at Josephine, towards whom she suddenly had a huge feeling of animosity.

She shrugged helplessly. Katrina glanced at her sides nervously before requesting to take the jacket. “Every jacket has an inner lining…so…” she said, before quickly taking out a Swiss Army knife from her pocket and slicing the inner lining open.

“And you call Ben the Sherlock Holmes of the group,” Vermont joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“How did you know how to do that?” Ariel asked.

“Sometimes it helps to be a girl with an affinity for clothes,” Katrina shrugged. Ben smiled and rolled his eyes at his friend.

Ariel hesitantly took the jacket and began to search the small inner space of the jacket. Her hand landed on a fragile piece of paper, and she slipped it out, laying it gently on the table next to Juliet’s inflatable mattress. The extended Scooby gang of Riverdale leaned in to look at the photograph that was supposedly the saving grace of FP Jones.

“I think we just figured out who J is,” Ariel breathed.

~

“What are we supposed to do?” Katrina asked.

“He told me about a hallucination he had…what if it was real?” Vermont asked, panic creeping into his voice.

“That would mean she could be near Thornhill!” Juliet exclaimed.

“We need to get him out of there!” Vermont said.

“I’m going to get both of them out,” Ben said calmly, dialling a number into his phone.

~

“Hello?” the redheaded menace asked.

A flutter of speech emanated from the cold speaker of his phone.

“Alright. Thank you.”

~

Vermont opened the door of the trailer to let the two boys in.

“Where is it?” Chester asked eagerly.

Ben handed him the picture, which he examined clearly. It was a picture of Penelope Blossom and Clifford Blossom, holding their two children in front of the gate to an amusement park. Except, Chester wasn’t in the picture at all. Even though he should be. The Janessa in the picture looked like they were five, or four, and he should definitely be in existence by then. Except, he wasn’t. And there was _two_ of his sister in the picture. 

“I don’t know if this is very significant, but I think there is someone watching us from Juliet’s trailer,” Katrina commented. Chester put the picture down and moved to the window, looking at the figure. It was near enough that he could see a tendril of long hair from the black hoodie the figure had on.

“I…I think it’s Janessa,” Chester said out loud.  

Parker shoved everyone away from the entrance bounded out, going as fast as his legs could take him. Janessa was never dead, it seemed, from the picture. The body was the other one and his wife was alive. Chester followed, coming to the same seemingly logical conclusion that Parker had. He was going to get his sister back.   

Parker bounded ahead, and Chester followed, panting. Suddenly, the black figure started running too, and then it was a game of it.

And then, Parker jumped and tackled the figure to the ground. Pulling the hoodie down, he gasped in joy, “Janessa.”

“No,” Janessa’s voice said.

“Not Janessa. My name’s Janet,” she said.

~

After a long period of realizing what had happened, Chester and Parker eventually came back to the trailer with the other new arrival.

Chester, with glowering eyes, shoved this new girl onto the bed. The other occupants of the trailer stood behind him, some looking at the girl with confusion, others with interest, but only Chester looked at her with pure hostility. Even Parker looked at the girl with mere confusion, trying to wrap his head around the concept of what seemed to be a sibling.

“So I’m assuming you’re J,” he spat at her.

She sighed, looking at him, clearly frightened. “I…am,” she admitted in a small voice.

“You sound just like her,” Parker said, moving forward and standing next to Chester. Chester looked at his in-law with irritation.

“She’s a twin, of course, she does,” he snapped with anger.

Vermont pulled Chester back. “Maybe you should calm down.”

“Calm down? Calm down? She killed her own twin! And not before blackmailing her to hell!”

Suddenly, the twin let out a laugh, mirroring the dead girl. “I did not. I did not kill Janessa, and I did not blackmail her. These are codes. See the underlined words? They’re supposed to tell her where to meet me. We’ve met on several occasions.”

Chester looked horrified. “She didn’t tell me about you,” he said slowly.

“Janet” smirked. “She thought she was keeping you safe. But I’m evidence that in that place you’re never safe.”

Chester sighed and closed his eyes. “From the beginning. Start from the beginning.”

The fable that flowed from his “sister” was unbelievable enough to be true.

~

On a rainy night in August, 1997, Penelope Blossom was in labour at Wellington. She was there because she had another one of her bouts of depression and she needed a break, especially since she was pregnant. On that night she gave birth to two beautiful daughters, Janet and Janessa. Both were amazing and beloved by both their parents. They were brought up by Penelope and Clifford in the safety of Wellington for the first few years, as Clifford’s latest foray into drug dealing had become dangerous. Clifford and Penelope decided that until the threats to the two child’s lives became minimal, they would stay at Wellington.

The supposed threat to their lives did not subside enough until two years after their birth, where Penelope and Clifford moved back to Thornhill in secrecy. The whole town did not know about the birth of Janessa and Janet, and the two parents wanted it to remain that way so that the “threat” did not resurface again.

Soon as the girls grew up in the seclusion of Thornhill, Janet began to show that genetics was real. She had fits, tantrums that were unbearable, which Clifford to escape only by bringing Janet into town. He began to tell people that he had one daughter. Janessa Blossom.

“Why fake your name?” Ben asked.

“Simple. Because he liked Janessa better than me,” Janet said.

“Not very clever, our father,” Chester commented, to which Janet smiled wryly.  

Soon, Janet’s tantrums and fits became absolutely incorrigible, to the point that she had to be sent away to Penelope’s favourite place in the world. Wellington.

“I was there since Janessa’s death. I didn’t see you there,” Parker said, his eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. Janet explained that she had a free pass in and out of the home. She’d been there since she was four, after all. And, besides, Parker was in the most reclusive room. There was no chance of the two of them meeting.

Penelope visited Janet from time to time, until she turned fifteen, when Penelope said that Janessa and Chester would notice. When she was seventeen, Janet reached out to Janessa, and they started meeting in secret. Janessa and Janet became the closest of friends, and Janet knew everything about the dirty family. Secrets were exchanged. Janet knew through her mother that Clifford Blossom’s maple business had some dirty laundry lying around, and told Janessa the year she turned nineteen. According to Janet, after two years of correspondence and secret meetings, she knew she could trust Janessa with the information. Janessa grew incensed about the drug business and began to plan to elope with Parker and escape Riverdale.

Janet began tearing up. “She’d told me she’d come visit, but she never did, not after that fourth,” Janet choked out. Chester stared at his new sibling soullessly.

Clifford got a hold of Janessa’s plans and attacked her near Sweetwater River the morning of the fourth of July. He took her to a place where he tortured her and tried to get the information of Janessa’s informant out of her. “But she didn’t break,” Janet sobbed, fully weeping now. Chester continued to stare at her with cold eyes. Ben stared at Chester in disbelief. Katrina couldn’t hold back, and rushed to the bed and started consoling Janet.

“How do you know?” Juliet asked, sitting in an armchair with the ice-pack on her back.

“Because Clifford Blossom thinks I’m in some locked up room at Wellington drugged up and rolling my tongue around listlessly, tied up in a straitjacket,” Janet said.

He shot Janessa and then forced FP Jones to help him clean up the mess. “And that’s where I come in, I guess,” Josephine said. 

Apparently, FP had needed an extra hand, and Josephine had, with no questions asked. Chester turned around. “So…you’re an accessory to Janessa’s murder.” Josephine took a frightened step back. With contempt burning in his eyes, Chester turned back to Janet.

“Finish the story,” he said.

"I didn’t even know Clifford killed Janessa until my friend at the home figured it out,” Janet admitted.

“Clever friend you have,” Chester said listlessly.

It was a simple story, really. Clifford and Penelope had a secret they buried in Wellington, one in their business dealings. Both were secrets Clifford was ready to kill for. Janessa had figured out the latter, and the former secret was out because of that.

The gaggle of teenagers stood in the trailer and absorbed the scandalous story.

“Did you mention the name of this smart friend who figured everything out? I would love to meet them and congratulate them,” Chester said without warmth, the threat clear.

“She has nothing to do with anything,” Janet quickly said. Suddenly, she glanced at Parker and quickly revised her words. “Okay, maybe I wouldn’t say anything.”

“Who is she?” Vermont asked.

“Christina Cooper,” Janet said hesitantly.

“I’m sorry,” Ben spoke up for the first time since Janet’s arrival.

“Did you just say, _Cooper_?” Parker and Ben asked unanimously.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is my holiday gift to anyone still sticking around for my unorganised updating schedule. Four last chapters + epilogue :)   
> A sequel is on the way.   
> Thank you for reading and I hope you liked this fic! When I find time I'll edit this fic, of course. But the plot will not change.   
> I apologise for the unhurried updating, I was in a place without any internet connection for the past three weeks.   
> ~ dangpankoozie


	29. Epilogue

Clifford, standing in front of her new home, asked his daughter if she was afraid.

She smiled.

That is all.

~


End file.
